SANTA FE — Organizers of the retired annual re-enactment of a 17th-century conquistador reclaiming Santa Fe after a Native American revolt are set to hold a new ceremony.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the Caballeros de Vargas last announced Tuesday it will hold a new event this year that will include Hispanics and Native Americans.
Amid public outcry, the Caballeros de Vargas last year retired the dramatization of the Spanish re-entry into Santa Fe after abandoning the city during the Pueblo Revolt. Native American activists had long complained the re-enactment was offensive.
Group president Thomas Baca-Gutierrez said the new ceremony will emphasize “the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary” in the lives of Spanish settlers and Native Americans.