Fiesta
2012
de Santa Fe
T h e S a n Ta F e n e w M e x i c a n • w w w. S a n Ta F e n e wM e x i c a n .c o M
GuadalupeCU.org 505-982-8942
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2012 FIESTA de SANTA FE
ZANE BENNETT CONTEMPORARY ART, located in Santa Fe’s Railyard
Arts District, provides a unique environment for exhibiting art in all media. Its exterior adobe architecture belies its interior with glass catwalks, stairway, sky lights and central atrium. ZBCA’s roster includes exceptional work by “blue-chip” artists, internationally-recognized artists, regional and local artists. DAVID KAPP California Cyclist, 2011-12, oil on linen, 96 x 78 inches
435 South Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501 Across from the Santa Fe Train Depot T: 505 982-8111 F: 505 982-8160 zanebennettgallery.com RAILYARD ARTS DISTRICT WALK LAST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
2012 FIESTA de SANTA FE
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Fine Art & Crafts from
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60 E. San Francisco St. Santa Fe, NM 87501 Ph: 505.983.4562 SantaFeGoldworks.com
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THE RAILYARD S
E AN T A F
S AN TA F E ’ S NE W P L AC E TO ME E T The Railyard is where Santa Fe comes to meet friends and neighbors, shop at New Mexico’s largest farmers’ market and other unique stores, have a great meal, see thought-provoking art, experience live performances, or just relax and PL AY. WWW.R AILYARD SANTAF E .COM Photo credit: Jennifer Esperanza
2012 Fiesta de Santa fe
Fiesta 2012 santa Fe
Cover photo Gene Peach Cover design Deborah Villa owner robin Martin publisher Ginny Sohn editor
P u b l i s h e d s e P t. 1 , 2 0 1 2
rob Dean Editorial Creative direCtor Deborah Villa 986-3027, DVilla@SfnewMexican.coM Magazine editor craiG SMith Copy editor Pat weSt-barker advertising advertising direCtor taMara hanD 986-3007 art departMent Manager Scott fowler Dale DeforeSt, elSPeth hilbert
Photos Gene Peach
advertising layout rick artiaGa advertising sales kaycee cantor, 995-3844 Mike floreS, 995-3840 MarGaret henkelS, 995-3820 belinDa hoSchar, 995-3844 criStina iVerSon, 995-3830 StePhanie Green, 995-3820 art trujillo, 995-3820 nationals aCCount Manager rob newlin, 505-995-3841 nationalS@SfnewMexican.coM systeMs teChnology direCtor Michael caMPbell produCtion operations direCtor al walDron assistant produCtion direCtor tiM craMer prepress Manager Dan GoMez press Manager larry Quintana paCkaging Manager brian Schultz distribution CirCulation Manager Michael reicharD distribution Coordinator caSey brewer web digital developMent Geoff GraMMer www.SantafenewMexican.coM address offiCe: 202 e. Marcy St. hours: 8 a.M.-5 P.M. MonDay-friDay advertising inforMation: 505-986-3082 delivery: 505-986-3010, 800-873-3372 for coPieS of thiS MaGazine, call 428-7645 or eMail caSeyb@SfnewMexican.coM.
inside
Santa Fe FieSta Song Spanish Music by Billy Palau, spanish Lyrics by Johnny Valdes, Jr.
Photos: Royalty for the ages
Santa Fe, tus fiestas de septiembre Se celebran en la capital Con Zozobra quemando las penas Ya las fiestas van a comenzar Tus mujeres llenas de alegria Pregonando van su nuevo amor A la luz de grandes luminarias Van cantando con placer esta cancion
16 Festive fashions from time gone by
Si Señor, como no, vamonos al vacilon A bailar y gozar de esta linda poblacion
18 Reconquest through relationships
Santa Fe FieSta Song
6 sacred promise 10 timeline: Four centuries of celebration 12
20 adios, Zozobra 22 Fiesta event schedule
English Music by Billy Palau, english Lyrics by avalee turner
In old Santa Fe we have La Fiesta ‘Tis the time for singing, dance and play On this day we do not take la siesta While Zozobra burns the gloom away Steel guitars are softly strumming music Señorita, come along with me Luminarias all are shining brightly At the baile, fancy costumes you will see Si Señor, como no, let’s go out and have some fun And we’ll see Santa Fe in Conquistadores way. 2012 Fiesta de santa Fe
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Keeping a promise
Fiesta celebrates 300th anniversary By Emily DraBanski
In this era of broken political promises, the concept of an everlasting vow is almost incomprehensible. Yet this year’s Fiesta de Santa Fe — and those that precede it — celebrates a promise put in writing on September 16, 1712. The proclamation by General Juan Paez Hurtado called for an annual fiesta to commemorate the achievements of Don Diego de Vargas, who reclaimed the region for the Spanish crown at the behest of King Carlos II. The proclamation reflected the strong Catholic faith of de Vargas and called for vespers, a Mass, a sermon and a procession through the Plaza. At the heart of the proclamation was de Vargas’ religious devotion to the Virgin Mary, whose intercession he sought in his quest to recolonize Santa Fe. In 1625, Fray Alonso de Benevidez brought a statue of Mary — known first as La Conquistadora and later renamed Señora Nuestra de la Paz — to Santa Fe. For many of Santa Fe’s Catholics, this devotion to Mary, and the offering of thanks to her, are the core of the Fiesta promise. While fiesta has its roots deep in religious culture, the celebration today welcomes everyone, said Deborah A. Norris Sparks, president of Santa Fe Fiesta, Inc. “We honor all the cultures that make up the rich cultural fabric of our city — Native Americans, Spanish, Mexican and Anglos. It’s important to keep all of our cultures alive.” “Fiesta [also] offers a wonderful educational opportunity,” said historian Thomas E. Chávez, former director of the Palace of the Governors and a 13th-generation New Mexican. “It’s by studying our history that we learn more about our ancestors and ourselves.” When the 1680 Pueblo Revolt led by Po’Pay, a Tewa religious leader from Ohkay Owingeh, drove the Spanish out of Santa Fe, many colonists fled to El Paso del Norte (present-day Juárez, Mexico). Four Spanish governors tried but were unsuccessful in reclaiming the region for Spain. De Vargas, New Mexico’s 30th Spanish territorial governor, eventually made two entradas (entrances) into Santa Fe. The first 6
2012 Fiesta de santa Fe
Caballeros de DeVargas 2010
Gene Peach
Wesley Bradfield, Courtesy PalaCe of the Governors Photo arChives (nMhM/dCa), #52394
Courtesy PalaCe of the Governors Photo arChives (nMhM/dCa), #52821
September 1919 Fiesta. Presentation of the flags of the Allied Powers at Victory and Peace Festival.
Fiesta parade, Santa Fe, New Mexico 1921.
came in August, 1692. “Vargas’ initial entry was peaceful, without much incident,” state historian Rick Hendricks said. “But when he returned [in 1693] with upwards of 800 people it becomes what we [historians] call a protracted period of conflict.” During both entradas, de Vargas prayed to the Virgin Mary. But it wasn’t until 1693 that he and his entourage brought the statue of La Conquistadora — which had been rescued during the Pueblo Revolt — back to Santa Fe. Hendricks, who was one of the editors of the Vargas Project (seven volumes of translated papers published by The University
of New Mexico), said he was always interested in de Vargas as a human figure. “I always wondered what motivated the Spanish who came here and what they were like.” He cites de Vargas’ drive to settle his father’s estate in Guatemala as one of the factors that brought him to the New World. “It’s amazing when you think about it,” Hendricks said, referring first to de Vargas’ ocean voyage from Spain and then his travels back and forth from Mexico to Santa Fe on horseback. The 20-year research project revealed a very human side of the conquistador. “We know he grieved for some time over the death of his son,” Hendricks said. (De Vargas’ son, Juan Manuel, died on a
La Conquistadora Procession 2012
Gene PeaCh
Courtesy
1958 Fiesta. Left to right, Orlando Padilla, Joseph Tapia, Joseph (Joe) E. Valdes, Alex Padilla (portraying Don Diego de Vargas) and Phil Baca.
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ship coming to the New World.) The project’s documents also revealed a man with strong religious devotion. De Vargas died in April 1704, and both Chávez and Hendricks suspect that there might have been an even earlier proclamation than the one recorded in 1712 calling for a commemorative fiesta, but it has not been found. “Processions, Masses and vespers were common in those days. So much so, they might have happened without any comment in writing. So it’s unclear how many years those activities have taken place. Often those religious activities were either preceded or followed by other festivities,” Hendricks said. Much of the pageantry we see in today’s fiesta has its origins in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. But “fiesta, itself, is always changing and evolving,” Chávez added. He cites the 1883 TertioMillennial Exposition in July and August of that year, with its three days of historical re-enactments emphasizing Indian, Western and Spanish culture, as influencing the feel of contemporary Fiesta. The 1883 events were a model of a multiple-day celebration and Chávez suggested it could be why many refer to Fiesta de Santa Fe in the plural — “fiestas.” Hendricks noted that a newspaper account first used the expression “Plaza fiesta” on August 23, 1904 referring to a Santa Fe Women’s Board of Trade fundraiser for the public library. It was a simpler affair than today’s Fiesta, Hendricks said. “It was more like what we’d think of as an ice cream social.” It wasn’t until July 4, 1911 that there would be another celebration with re-enactments. That Fourth of July event featured what was billed as a “De Vargas Pageant,” touted to attract tourists traveling on the railroads. It also was part of a grander scheme to have New Mexico fit in with the rest of the United States as the quest for statehood became heated. The next year, when statehood was finally achieved, a similar celebration took place. For several years after, the pageantry ceased. According to a July 31, 1916 account in The Santa Fe New Mexican, the chamber of commerce called for “a revival on a stupendous scale of the DeVargas Pageant.” That came about on September 11 to 13, 1919. Many other elements were gradually added, such as the Pasatiempo parade that evolved into today’s Hysterical/Historical parade. Former Santa Fe mayor and former Fiesta director Joseph “Joe” E. Valdes, who celebrates his 82nd birthday in September, has fond 8
2012 Fiesta de santa Fe
memories of Fiesta. “I always start Fiesta by going to the Friday morning Mass. That’s the official opening. And I still enjoy the parades,” Valdes said in his office at Valdes Paint and Glass. “You couldn’t have a Fiesta like I experienced as a child. Government regulations would shut it down,” he said with a hearty laugh. “During the ’20s and ’30s, I remember the food booths were all heating food by using wood and coal stoves. You could really see the smoke. It’s a wonder there wasn’t a terrible fire. “And in those days, folks who lived on Canyon Road would come in with their burros and horses. They’d give us a ride for a nickel or a dime. It sure was fun. “I’ve always had a heartfelt feeling for Fiesta. It’s in my blood,” Valdes said. His brother, the late Johnny G. Valdes, wrote the Spanish lyrics to the Santa Fe Fiesta song. “I also remember years ago that the more affluent would go to the Conquistadores’ Ball and the rest, the people, went to Baile de la Gente (the dance of the people) in front of the Palace of the Governors,” Valdes said. “I always remember the pet parades. But it used to be mostly full of kids and pets. Now you go and you see kids, pets, parents and grandparents.” Chávez recalls portraying a friar in the Don Diego de Vargas Cuadrilla in the ‘80s. “I have to hand it to those folks who participate. It’s a lot of work,” he said. As a historian, he suggested that the friars’ robes be blue. “Also, after many years they stopped using the armor costumes,” he said. Leather attire was more appropriate for the time period. For this year’s 300th anniversary, Norris Sparks said there will be more outreach activities by the Fiesta royalty and the mariachis than usual. “They’ll be everywhere. We’ll be bringing Fiesta into the schools, nursing homes and detention centers,” she said. “We have a lot of dedicated volunteers who work all year to make Fiesta possible.” And what’s her favorite part of Fiesta? “I get emotional when I talk about this. But Mary became really important when my son was overseas in the military. So the religious activities are important to me,” she said with a catch in her throat. “It’s still important since he returned. “And I just love going downtown and seeing everyone I know.” Then she flashed a broad smile, “And it just wouldn’t be Fiesta without eating one of the wonderful tortilla burgers.”
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2012 Fiesta de Santa fe
FIESTA TIMELINE
1919 Fiesta
1920 Fiesta
1921 Fiesta
1607: Santa Fe area settled.
Otero governor of the territory.
throughout the 1920s and ’30s.
1609-1610: Formal founding of Santa Fe; construction of Palace of the Governors begins.
1898: Spanish-American War. Lt. Col. and future President Theodore Roosevelt assumes command of the volunteer cavalry regiment known as the Rough Riders, which boasts many members from New Mexico.
1923: Members of San Juan Pueblo perform the Yellow Corn Dance, Basket Dance and White Buffalo Dance at Fiesta.
1626: Padre Fray Alonso de Benevidez brings La Conquistadora, the America’s oldest Madonna, to Santa Fe from Mexico City. 1680: Pueblo Revolt. Josefa Lopez Sambrano de Grijalva removes La Conquistadora from Palace of the Governors before fleeing Santa Fe. The Madonna accompanies the Spanish colonists south to El Paso del Norte, now the El PasoCiudad Juárez area. 1692: Peaceful re-entry into Santa Fe by Don Diego De Vargas and his troops. 1704: De Vargas dies. 1712: Proclamation establishing the first Fiesta de Santa Fe. The document calls for an annual Mass and vespers, and states that someone “who may be fitting” should give a sermon and be paid 25 pesos for it. 1821: Santa Fe Trail opens. 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends Mexican War. 1854: Gadsden Purchase from Mexico sets continental U.S. borders and adds 45,000 acres to New Mexico.
1902: An editorial in The New Mexican deplores citizens’ disparaging use of the term “Mexican.” “If anybody is entitled to the appellation of ‘American’ it is the people who are descendants of men and women who lived in New Mexico when the ancestors of the later comers were probably living in the squalor of some European hamlet or Asiatic village.” 1909: Palace of the Governors receives its first renovation under the direction of Jesse Nusbaum. 1910: George Washington Armijo is elected to portray Diego de Vargas in the first De Vargas Pageant, which replaces the traditional reconquest celebration. 1911: Museum of New Mexico produces De Vargas Days, one of the first organized attempts at drawing on Santa Fe’s history and culture as tourist attractions. The event continues through 1913. 1912: New Mexico statehood. 1917: Museum of Fine Arts dedicated.
1924: Artist Will Shuster first burns a puppet in his yard at Fiesta time. 1925: Creation of Spanish Colonial Arts Society. Tentative budget for this year’s Fiesta is $11,000, including $6,000 in ticket sales and $2,500 for underwriting housing, food and horse forage costs for Pueblo members presenting dances and craft activities. 1926: Shuster’s puppet is named Zozobra — gloom or unease in Spanish — by then-New Mexican editor Dana Johnson. Gustave Baumann helps build the effigy, but miscommunication results in a head half the size of the body. First annual Spanish Colonial Arts and Crafts exhibit held at Museum of Fine Arts in conjunction with Fiesta. 1930s: The county puts up a 44-foot pole at Marcy Park to serve as Zozobra’s stake. 1935: Founding of La Sociedad Folklórica to support Spanish culture, language and tradition in Santa Fe. 1938: John Gaw Meem active in efforts to recapture Fiesta spirit of the mid-1920s.
1897: President William McKinley appoints M.A.
1922: First Fiesta Melodrama: A group called Fiesta Players writes and performs The Sorcerers of Nambé. Future melodramas continue sporadically
1947: Johnny Valdes Jr. and Billy Palou write the Fiesta theme song to a traditional melody. The New Mexican reports, “The fine saddle and parade horses of the Saddle and Sirloin club of Kansas City drew tremendous applause from onlookers as the Kansas Citians made their impressive entrada
1949 Fiesta
1952 Fiesta
1967 Fiesta
1886: Blessing of St. Francis Cathedral, then under construction. 1888: Feb. 13: Death of Archbishop Lamy reported.
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1919: Cols. Jose Sena and Ralph Twitchell revive a modern version of the old Fiesta.
1926 Fiesta Theater
1930 Fiesta
1938 Fiesta
on Saturday afternoon on the Plaza.” More than 300 equestrians participated.
1973: Two teenagers steal La Conquistadora from her chapel; she is later recovered unharmed.
from throwing candy to spectators.
1940s: Zozobra shrinks to 8 feet during World War II but is dubbed “Hirohitlmus” after the leaders of the Axis powers.
1977: Fiesta is dubbed the Fiesta Different because the event is celebrated two weeks after Labor Day. Two of the three American Indian princesses in the Fiesta court withdraw when officials from Nambé Pueblo boycott the event “because the Indian vendors were asked to stay away from the Palace of the Governors during Fiesta.”
1944: Annual Fiesta “roof show” at La Fonda features an active role for the 1944 Fiesta queen 1945: The New Mexican reports that due to wartime shortages, necessary explosives can’t be found “to send Old Man Gloom sky-high as has been the custom in past years.” Though Shuster “hunted high and low,” the result was “No soap.” 1954: La Conquistadora crowned by Cardinal Francis Spellman. 1957: The New Mexican reports that heavy rainfall during Fiestas didn’t dampen enthusiasm but that police arrested 11 people for public intoxication, robbery and other violations.
1985: Santa Fe Fiesta Foundation founded to fund religious activities during Fiesta weekend. 1986: Candlelight procession to the Cross of the Martyrs canceled due to violent thunderstorm. 1987: For the first time, ground rather than aerial fireworks are used during the burning of Zozobra. 1992: Longtime Zozobra Fire Dancer Jacques Cartier dies.
1958: Popular singer Genoveva Chavez makes her Fiesta debut at age 15.
1993: La Conquistadora receives the title “Our Lady of Conquering Love, Queen of Peace.”
1960: La Conquistadora crowned by Pope John XXIII’s apostolic representative.
1994: Cora Archuleta elected first woman president of Santa Fe Fiesta Council.
1961: Fiesta Melodrama starts using original scripts written by anonymous committee, poking fun at high-profile citizens and issues.
1997: Genoveva Chavez dies Dec. 5.
1964: Will Shuster passes preparation and oversight of the burning of Zozobra to Kiwanis Club. 1969: Shuster dies. 1971: After Zozobra burns, youth on Plaza throw rocks at police, who respond with tear gas.
1980 Fiesta
1996: First Winter Fiesta. 1998: New Mexico’s Cuartocentenario; Zozobra burns on a Thursday rather than a Friday. Kiwanis Club reports revenues down 50 percent from previous year. 1999: Gov. Gary Johnson rescinds state workers’ traditional half-day Fiesta holiday.
2001: World premiere of 57-minute Zozobra documentary shows to a packed Lensic. 2002: 290th Fiesta dedicated to Pedro RiberaOrtega. 2004: Palace of the Governors presents an exhibit of more than 100 years of Fiesta de Santa Fe, titled Santa Fe Fiesta: Faith, Fashion and Fun. 2006: The New Mexican publishes a Fiesta Scrapbook of historic photos sent in by readers. 2007: Dedication of statue of Don Diego de Vargas in Cathedral Park. 2009: New Mexico’s 400th anniversary. 2010: Sept. 19: Post-Fiesta, 30 of the robes of La Conquistadora, as well as some of her crowns and jewelry, are exhibited at the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art. The New Mexican reports that Ray Valdez, producer of Zozobra’s burning, estimates he has packed “more than $30,000 worth of wedding dresses” as well as divorce settlements, photo albums, and mortgage papers into the puppet’s head over time. 2011: The Fiesta Melodrama’s title is “A Corrupt Campaign Contributor’s Combustible Conspiracy to Trick Trepidatious Townsfolk and Take Over the Territory, or, Radio Killed the Honky-Tonk Star, or, Something’s Rotten in the Territory of New Mexico, or, A Fistful of Danish.” 2012: 300th Fiesta
2000: Fiesta Council bans Pet Parade participants
1989 Fiesta
—The New MexicaN
2008 Fiesta
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Jenae Monique Cisneros y Roybal
Courtesy photos
Royalty for the ages La Reina de la Fiesta de Santa Fe and Don Diego de Vargas
Don Diego de Vargas prtrayed by Lee Anthony Garcia y Dominguez
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2012 Fiesta de santa Fe
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2012 Fiesta de Santa fe
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1889 Ball Gown worn by Roxanne Ortega
1880 Two-piece gown owned by Cleofas Jaramillo, worn by Julia Gomez
1912 Summer lawn dress worn by Roberta Miller and Ariella Miller
Clothes make the woman Antique garments shine a light on the past By Craig Smith
year is 1912, because of our [New Mexico state] centennial.
Founded in 1935 by Cleofás Jaramillo, La Sociedad Folklórica works to preserve traditional Spanish customs, as well as the Spanish language, in modern Santa Fe. One of the organization’s most popular annual events is the “Exhibicion de Modas y Merienda” during Fiesta — a fashion show of traditional and antique clothing followed by a tea with bizcochitos and hot chocolate. This year’s show is at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8 at the James A. Little Theater on the campus of the New Mexico School for the Deaf. Ruth Ortega, chair of the Traje (Fashions) Committee, discussed the kinds of fashions attendees would see at this year’s event with me.
RO: By that time, the bustle was going out. You don’t see much with a bustle. So they are straight-lined, two-piece outfits. The colors are brighter [than in the 1800s]. Of course black is always traditional. Black was worn to a lot of social events. As a matter of fact, we have another selection we’re going to [present] from 1912 to possibly about 1940 — a lovely collection of flapper dresses and lawn dresses. The young girls would wear them and have parasols when they went to church or promenaded around the Plaza. They are very fine cotton with a lot of lace. We have a few parasols we use in our show.
CS: The fashion show has had a theme each year. What is this year’s focus?
CS: Are there a lot of dressy clothes in the collection?
RO: What we’re trying to focus on this
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2012 Fiesta de santa Fe
CS: What kind of look would you expect to find in 1912?
RO: We have a nice collection of
gowns worn for balls at the Palace of the Governors. Originals are the only thing we show; they’re not replicas. Some members decide to make a replica [from time to time] because we are invited once in a while to a large event where we don’t want to use our [fragile] originals. The gowns are in a climate-controlled space, kept individually in boxes. We do use acid-free tissue paper [for packing] because the materials have no synthetics in them. That’s why we’ve been fortunate to be able to preserve them. It’s just amazing, some of them don’t have a single flaw. Even now, when the models pick up these dresses, the first thing we say is, “Air them out. They’ve been in storage. Do not have them cleaned, do not do anything to them. You can press them very carefully, or steam them.” CS: So they were like formal evening wraps? RO: Formal wraps worn with gowns. CS: What other kinds of shawls are in the
1912 Summer lawn dress worn by Jolene Gonzales
1886 Evening wear
collection? RO: We do have shawls that were worn
over heads. They’re totally black. Those were worn by the older women [or] if there was a death in the family. They continued to wear them till they were very, very old women. They wore them everywhere. I remember as a teenager seeing them downtown. Very wonderful materials with very long black tassels, but very plain. You didn’t see younger women wearing them, and certainly not to balls. CS: Was Santa Fe isolated, fashion-wise, at
least in the late 1800s? RO: No. It might take forever, but the wagons were coming from the Midwest and some of the people from back East would order their gowns direct. They would have their clothes brought in or made by seamstresses called modistas. We can see the beautiful work that these seamstresses did. A lot of it is handwork. CS: How did the Modas y Merienda custom
begin? RO: We’re probably into our 75th year. Mrs. Jaramillo, the founder [of La Sociedad Folklórica], had visited somewhere in the
1886 Three 19th-century gowns
Courtesy photos
southern part of the country, one of those southern cities — she traveled quite a bit, her husband was very involved in politics in the state of New Mexico. She attended an event where they were showing some of the beautiful dresses that were worn in [the past]. She came back and got some friends together and said, “Let’s do that.”
WHEN: 3 p.m. Saturday, September 8
CS: Are period clothes smaller than clothing
WHERE: James A. Little Theater (on
today?
the campus of the New Mexico School for the Deaf), 1060 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe
RO: Absolutely. They were all very small
women, a lot of very tall women, but [with] small, slender waists. Today, many of our dresses have to be worn by teenagers starting at [age] 14 or 15. We have been very fortunate that we do find models to fit our dresses. We first work with our members and their relatives — daughters granddaughters, nieces, are asked first. Then we have guest models. CS: Do men get to take part in the program? RO: We have a great collection of men’s tuxedos plus coats they would wear with a cravat. They were longer coats, very ornate, with trimming. We also have some military uniforms. We have one from the 1800s in excellent condition. We do have a lot
Details WHAT: Exhibicion de Modas y
Merienda presented by La Sociedad Folklórica; fashion show followed by reception
TICKETS: $8 per person, at the door
of trouble finding [male] models. We use junior high or lower grades of high school. We’re lucky to find three or four. Again, the men were smaller boned [than now]. They were not large [but] they were tall. Last year, we had a very excellent show. We ended up with five or six young men. We couldn’t fit them all with tuxedos to be escorts for our young women but we showed them the military uniforms and they loved them, so they wore them. 2012 Fiesta de santa Fe
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The Godfather, circa 1692 How Diego de Vargas used compradazgo to reconquer and recolonize Santa Fe
By Craig Smith
Photo Blair Clark, NMhM/DCa.
Artist Julio Barrera’s copy of a Spanish painting of Don Diego José de Vargas Zapata y Luiján Ponce de León y Contreras.
Rick Hendricks
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2012 Fiesta de santa Fe
Fiesta de Santa Fe is a time to remember and celebrate the past. State Historian Rick Hendricks will do just that in a Fiesta lecture on September 5 at the New Mexico History Museum. His talk, titled I Was Godfather to Them: Diego de Vargas and the Reconquest of New Mexico, will explore how Vargas’ political acumen and religious faith converged to support the successful reconquest of Santa Fe in 1692-93. “What I’ve chosen for my topic this year is Vargas’ use of compradazgo (godparenthood),” said Hendricks. “So we’ll be looking at the relationships he was establishing with Pueblo leaders and their children through this idea. Basically what happened was [that] Vargas would identify the individuals in a given Pueblo he thought were the leaders, and he would stand as the godfather to their children.” There were doubtless many of them, too — children who had been born in the years between the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, when the Spanish left Santa Fe, and the recolonization in 1693. The Franciscans who accompanied Vargas were ready to administer the sacrament to every unbaptized child in the region — from babies to teens. But Roman Catholic practice required baptismal candidates had to have at least one godparent.
“So as part of this process of recolonization,” Hendricks explained, “[Vargas] would stand as the godfather to these children. By doing that as a good Roman Catholic, which we know that he was, he was carrying out a role that was very typical of communities in the New World, [establishing] what the anthropologists call a fictive kinship relationship, [one] that’s not a blood relationship, not a marriage relationship. It was one of the glues that held Spanish communities together [and] would have been familiar to Vargas from a societal background.” There was a similar custom in Pueblo culture already, Hendricks pointed out, oftentimes arising through female caregivers. So “this idea of someone having a special sort of sponsorship or caregiving arrangement is something that would’ve been understandable to the Pueblo culture as well. “Did he know what he was tapping into?” Hendricks mused. “I have no idea. It could be that he was aware that these kind of relationships existed. Did he correctly identify who the leaders of the Pueblo were? On many occasions, he probably didn’t — he’d identify the individual who had been designated by the Pueblo to deal with outside people. But I suspect he probably wasn’t connecting with the religious leaders of the community.”
Alliances critical to success By establishing godparent relationships, and using such diplomatic tools as sharing chocolate with leaders, Vargas was
“I think the case of Vargas is rare in that we have personal documents,” Hendricks said. “[For] almost all the other governors, we have nothing that compares to his letters home, the personal documents. In those, he shows himself to be very much a human being. practicing one of the oldest military tactics known to humanity: divide and conquer. As Hendricks noted, “He seemed to be aiding people who would ally themselves with the Spaniards, and in a sense co-opting them into that role. And then they would be used as allied troops when he confronted a group that was resistant to the Spanish. “This was not unique to Spain or to Vargas. But he saw himself — and we know this from [historic] documents — as a latter-day Cortez [the Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztec Empire]. This is something Cortez had done very effectively when he was battling the people of Tenochtitlan. As he was moving from the coast from Veracruz inland into the valley of Mexico, he found that subject peoples of the Aztecs were quite willing to ally themselves with the Spaniards and fight against the Aztecs. And Vargas made many references to Oñate and Cortez, and saw himself somewhat as a new conquistador.” “It would be cynical of me to say that [compradazgo] was a tactic,” Hendricks added. “I really think for him it was a personal thing, and he was trying to bind these leaders that he had identified. But in terms of allies it was absolutely crucial. There weren’t enough soldiers on the ground for a full-scale battle.” In fact, during the Reconquest, “in terms of a battle, there really isn’t much that happens. These strategic alliances meant bloodshed was less, and it meant it was much easier to carry it out. “When Vargas came in 1692 on what we call the ceremonial reconquest, when he
tooled around to all the Pueblos saying, ‘OK, we’re back, swear allegiance to the king’ — I don’t think at that particular moment the Pueblos were really all that concerned. Then he comes back in 1693 with people, livestock, wagons — coming back to recolonize. It becomes open resistance, a protracted war — the fighting doesn’t end until 1696, though it’s not nonstop. But it was a long period and those various alliances were very crucial to his success.” A native of North Carolina, Hendricks took a B.A. in history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in Ibero American Studies at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He also attended the University of Seville in Spain. He is a former editor of the Vargas Project at UNM, which was dedicated to transcribing, translating and annotating the governor’s papers, and also did scholarly work and taught at New Mexico State University. Hendricks has written or collaborated on many books and articles about the Spanish colonial period of the American Southwest and Mexico; his most recent book is New Mexico in 1801: The Priests Report, published in 2008 by Rio Grande Books.
A Mexico City rock star Vargas’ public position in history is wellknown, but what about his private life? Was he a good administrator during his often up-and-down tenure? “I think the case of Vargas is rare in that we have personal documents,” Hendricks said. “[For] almost all the other governors,
Details What: I Was Godfather to Them: Diego de Vargas and the Reconquest of New Mexico, the 2012 Fiesta lecture by New Mexico State Historian Rick Hendricks Where: New Mexico History
Museum, 113 Lincoln Avenue, Santa Fe
When: 6 p.m. Wednesday,
September 5
Tickets: Free admission to members of the Palace Guard; $5 for nonmembers, at the door. Limited seating. For more information, call 476-5200 or visit www.museumofnewmexico.org/ calendar.php?month=09
we have nothing that compares to his letters home, the personal documents. In those, he shows himself to be very much a human being. He grieves when his son dies, he’s happy when his daughter marries. All the sort of things that make us human, he spells out in his writing. So we have a different view of him. “He was certainty considered a good administrator in his posts before coming here.” And, “when word reached Mexico City that he had conquered New Mexico, they illuminated the cathedral. It was a huge deal. It was so rare for Spaniards to be driven out of an area they had been in such a long time. It wasn’t unknown, but it was rare. “I imagine he was a rock star of Mexico City for a while since he had pulled it off.” 2012 Fiesta de santa Fe
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Long live Zozobra! Well, not quite …
Details
What’s almost 50 feet tall, weighs fourfifths of a ton, groans like a giant banshee and is bad news personified? Zozobra, of course — the giant puppet that Santa Feans love to hate: Old Man Gloom himself. Every year on the Thursday following Labor Day, just before the Santa Fe Fiesta, the monolithic monster appears at Fort Marcy Park. As dusk begins to fall, people stream into the viewing areas to the sound of bands playing, to share a special rite of passage. In 2011, more than 23,000 people were there to see him come — and go. As night begins to gather in, the beast starts to move and moan, a group of little Gloomies prance around him and a fire dancer taunts and tantalizes him. Big Z’s voice grows louder, but is soon overwhelmed by the crowd’s murmuring chant that quickly rises to a roar: “Burn him!” And then, whoosh! Fireworks erupt, flames flicker and crawl up the beast’s body, and Zozobra goes up in smoke and fire, screeching and bellowing to the last. And a year’s worth of gloom, bad luck, sorrow and unhappy memories go with him — everything from paid-off mortgages and unlucky wedding dresses to bad report cards, from jewelry and photo albums to old bills. You name it, and it’s probably been tucked one year or another into the Gloom Box that ends up as floating ash. Zozobra got his start in 1924, when artist Will Shuster burnt a puppet called Old Man Grouch in his yard at Fiesta time. Two years later, New Mexican editor Dana Johnson came up with the name Zozobra for the creature — meaning gloom or unease in Spanish — and a once-private ritual began to become a public institution. Shuster kept his hand in the celebratory burning until 1964, when he passed responsibility on to the Kiwanis Club, which continues to conceptualize, make, decorate, and destroy Z-Man to this day. His ingredients include, according to zozobra. com, wire, unbleached muslin, poultry netting, wood, nails, screws, plywood,
TickeTs
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2012 Fiesta de santa Fe
the burning of Will Shuster’s Zozobra takes place at dusk on thursday, Sept. 6, at Fort marcy Park. tickets are available Sept. 1-3 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Zozobra booth on the Plaza, during the Fiesta Labor Day arts and Crafts Fair. they also are available Sept. 4 & 5 at offices of the State Employees Credit Union and guadalupe Credit Union, during regular business hours. all tickets sold at these outlets are $20. tickets are also available at the gate the day of event, beginning at 3 p.m. at this time only, children 42 inches tall and under are admitted for $10. all other tickets are $20.
GeTTinG There
Don’t forget — you can ride the New mexico rain runner Express to and from Zozobra. the last train, which usually leaves downtown at 9 p.m., will be leaving at 11 p.m. the night Zozobra burns.
Buses Zozobra 2011
Natalie GuillÉN
pulleys, shredded paper, spray paint, duct tape – and pizza pans. This year, the venerable ceremony takes place Thursday, September 6. The gates open at 3 p.m. — and be warned: people don’t mind queuing up early to get a frontrow place to observe Zozobra’s torture. Entertainment begins at 3:30 p.m. The bands performing this year include Sol Fire, La Junta, Mariachi Buenaventura and Test Tube Panda. General admission is $20 at the gate; children under 42 inches tall get in for $10. Food may be brought into the venue as well as bought from the many vendors on site. Don’t forget that roads are closed within a four-block radius, so you’ll need to walk to the site from downtown. A parkand-ride program operates from bus line locations and the Rail Runner. For a full list of regulations and information, visit zozobra.com. — Craig Smith
Santa Fe trails will run its usual routes from Santa Fe Place into Sheridan transit Center on thursday (Sept. 6) for the burning of Zozobra. two extra buses will take passengers beginning at 5:45 p.m. from South Capitol Station, off Cordova and Pen road, to Sheridan continuously throughout the evening. South Capitol Station is the best place to park to have a free ride and no-hassle free parking. Last buses — final pickup — will leave Sheridan Street at 10:30 p.m. to get passengers back to South Capitol Station and Santa Fe Place.
handicap parkinG
handicap parking is accessible through the entrance to the recreational Complex at magers Field at the intersection of Bishops Lodge road and artist road. Forty spaces are reserved and available on a first-come, firstserved basis. gates open at 3 p.m. any vehicle requesting handicap Parking can enter through this main gate from 3 p.m. until the road closes at 6 p.m. the vehicle must display a State of New mexico-issued handicap parking permit and everyone in the vehicle must have an event ticket.
2012 FIESTA de SANTA FE
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Official schedule 300th Fiesta de Santa Fe
Historical/Hysterical Historical/Hysterical Parade Parade
through Sept. 9
(Desfile de la Gente)
Desfile de la Gente
Fiesta Melodrama various times, The Santa Fe Playhouse,
DeVargas Center
Start
142 E. DeVargas St., $20 general admission, $15 seniors/students/teachers/military, $10 Thursday and Late Night shows, call 988-4262.
Finish Guadalu
113 Lincoln Ave., free to members of Palace Guard, $5 non-members at the door. Seating is limited.
Sept. 6 thurSday
Wa shin gto
Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.
pontifical Mass 10 a.m. Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of
Assisi.
2012 Fiesta de santa Fe
ova l Str eet
e
Ave nue
nt A ven u
ton oln Linc
Wa sh
rida
Pala ce A ven ue PLA ZA oS tree t
cisc
Wa ter Stre et
Cien ega
Ote ro
Fran
Registration
Start/Finish (La Residencia Parking Lot)
School for the Deaf, 1060 Cerrillos Road, $8 per person at the door.
Sept. 9 Sunday
22
San
La Merienda (Fashion Show) 3 p.m. James A. Little Theater, New Mexico
Center, 201 W. Marcy St., $15, contact Tickets Santa Fe, 988-1234.
Gene Peach
Pe ra lta
desfile de Los niños (Pet Parade) 9 a.m. around the Plaza.
Solemn procession 9:30 a.m. Palace of the Governors to Cathedral
pet parade
Ma rcy Stre et
Sept. 8 Saturday
gran Baile 7:30 p.m. Santa Fe Community Convention
Burning of Zozobra 3-11 p.m. Fort Marcy Park, $20.
Gra
ing
entrada de don diego de Vargas 2 p.m. Santa Fe Plaza.
historical Fiesta Lecture with State historian rick hendricks 6 p.m. New Mexico History Museum,
ue
(Desfile de los Niños) Desfile de los Niños
n
Concierto de Mariachi Matinees 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Lensic Performing Arts
Center, 211 W. San Francisco St., $5, contact Tickets Santa Fe, 988-1234.
Pal ace Ave n
Str ee t
l ra ed th Ca
Sept. 5 WedneSday
City, County and State official opening of Fiesta noon Santa Fe Plaza.
200 Lincoln Ave.
PLA ZA Stre et
Children’s Pet Parade
Sept. 7 Friday pregón de la Fiesta 6 a.m. Rosario Chapel, 540 Rosario Blvd., Free.
Special City Council Meeting 4-6 p.m. City Council Chambers
Fran ci
sco
She lby Stre et
Sept. 4 tueSday
da
de
301 Opera Drive, Tickets 986-5900.
a
o
Mariachi extravaganza de Santa Fe 7:30 p.m. Santa Fe Opera,
Pe ra lt
e Pas
Sept. 2 Sunday
me
eet Str
Sept. 7-9 Friday, Saturday & Sunday Fine arts and Crafts Market & Food Booths Fiesta 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Santa Fe Plaza.
Ala
fin Grif
Santa Fe Plaza.
S an
Sa nd
Mariachi traditional
She
Fiesta Fine arts and Crafts Market 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. (Labor Day Weekend),
de
nA ven ue
o Pase
eet pe Str
Sept. 1-3 Saturday, Sunday & Monday
desfile de la gente (Historical/Hysterical Parade) 12:30 p.m. through downtown. See Route Map.
Gene Peach
Candlelight procession to the Cross of the Martyrs
Closing Ceremonies 5:15-6 p.m. Plaza Gazebo. Mass of thanksgiving and Candlelight procession 7 p.m. Mass of Thanksgiving at the Cathedral
Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, followed by the procession to the Cross of the Martyrs.
Featuring quality toys and games from fair-labor manufacturers in America, Europe and ports around the world. Monday - Thursday 10 - 5ish Friday & Saturday 10 - 5:30ish Sunday 12 - 4ish Plaza Mercado • 112 W. San Francisco St. Suite 212-C • 982-9373
Happy 300th Fiesta Santa Fe! Have fun and be safe this Fiesta Season. A special thanks to our HR Director, 2012 Fiesta President Debbie Sparks and our staff that helped put it all together.
Maria
Rustine
Diana
J es si c a
Debbie Sparks
Not just for State Employees
www.secunm.org
505-983-7328 -OR- 800-983-7328 2012 Fiesta de Santa fe
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2012 FIESTA de SANTA FE