A bronze, equestrian statue of Juan De Oñate was erected in 1991 at the Oñate Monument Visitors Center in New Mexico a few miles Northeast of Espanola. Juan De Oñate founded and governed the colony of New Mexico in 1598. In 1599, Oñate killed 800 Acoma Indians, enslaved the remaining 500, and amputated the right foot of many of the Acoma men (estimates range from “dozens” to “around eighty”). For this misstep, he was called to court in 1606 and had to resign his post as governor. In January 1998, people protesting the 400th anniversary of Juan de Oñate’s arrival, cut the statue’s right foot off with an electric saw. They left a note that read, “We took the liberty of removing Oñate’s right foot on behalf of our brothers and sisters of Acoma Pueblo...We see no glory in celebrating Oñate’s fourth centennial, and we do not want our faces rubbed in it.” The original sculptor, Reynaldo Rivera recast the foot and welded it on to the statue.