Santa Fe City Council votes to move or repair controversial obelisk

Council members voted in favor of the resolution to either move it or replace it, but agreed they needed more information.

SANTA FE, N.M. — The Santa Fe City Council voted Wednesday to either move a controversial monument from the plaza or renovate it.

However, they agreed that they still needed more information.

Before the vote, dozens of community members heatedly talked about what should happen to the monument to the soldiers. Most of the speakers wanted to keep it in Santa Fe Plaza. Some felt the plaque should be removed.

The obelisk was built in 1868 to honor Union soldiers. However, there is a quote on the plaque dedicated to “the heroes who fell in various battles with the savage Indians.”

Protesters toppled the obelisk on Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2020. Since then, the remains have been covered with a box.

Council members explored the possibility moving the obelisk to Santa Fe National Cemetery. They first discussed this resolution in February 2023. However, people criticized the council for not doing enough to create alternatives to the monument.

A trial also took place last month to determine whether Mayor Alan Webber’s announcement to remove the monument and three others was unlawful. Judge Matthew Wilson has yet to make his decision.

As for moving the obelisk to the national cemetery, the city manager will still need approval from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The department determines whether the monument will stand in the republican cemetery.

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