Statue of Po'pay
Po'pay is a statue of Po’pay, (aka Popé), a Tewa and one of the Pueblo leaders during the Pueblo Revolt against the Spanish colonizers in 1680. The statue was carved by Cliff Fragua, a sculptor from Jemez Pueblo out of a solid block of Tennessee marble.[1]
New Mexico was the last state to place its second statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection, making it the 100th statue placed there. Po'pay was the twentieth military leader, the twelfth religious leaded and joins six other Native Americans in the Collection.[2]
History
In 1997 New Mexico Senate Bill 404 was introduced by Rep. Manny Aragon (D-Bernalillo) and Nick Salazar (D-Rio Arriba) that nominated Po’Pay to fill the second New Mexico spot in the Hall. The bill was passed and signed into law by Governor Gary E. Johnson. A Statuary Hall Commission was then established whose purpose was to select a sculptor and and to raise funds. Eventually Fragua was selected as the sculptor,[3]
Carved by Fragua in his studio at Jemez Pueblo over three years the statue had its first pubic showing at Ohkay Owingeh pueblo in May of 2005, where Po'pay was from. There the statue was blessed before it was allowed to continue on the Washington , D.C. where it was unveiled in the Capitol rotunda in September of 2005.
See also
References
- ^ Romancito, Rick, Pópay’s Children. Story and photographs by Rick Romancito, Tempo; The Arts and Entertainment Magazine of the Taos News, May 26-June 1, 2005 pp.32-36
- ^ Viles, Philip H., National Statuary Hall: Guidebook for a Walking Tour, Published by Philip H. Viles, Tulsa, OK, 1997
- ^ Sando, Joe S. and Herman Agoyo, with contributions by Theodore S. Jojola, Robert Mirabal, Alfoonso Ortiz, Simon J. Ortiz and Joseph H. Suina, forward by Bill Richardson, Po’Pay: Leader of the First American Revolution, Clear Light Publishing, Santa Fe, Ne Mexico, 2005 pp128-132
