On Monday, September 19, artist Nora Naranjo Morse came to Gettysburg as part of a collaborative effort between the Art and Art History Department and the Iota of Pennsylvania Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Morse gave a lecture focusing on her 2005 earth sculpture Numbe Whageh, a project surrounded by controversy.
Morse described the historical context of the piece thus: in the late 1500s, conquistador Don Juan de Onate was one of a slew of invaders who came to the Southwest in search of Christian converts, labor, and gold. When the Pueblo people stood up against their conquerors, they were severely punished; following a (biased) trial by Onate’s men, the men of one specific group had their right foot cut off, while women and children were sent to labor Mexico, leaving only the elderly in their homes.
Four-hundred years later, the city of Albuequerqe, New Mexico sought to commemorate Onate’s conquest and reached out to Morse, as well as representative artists from the white and hispanic groups involved. Unsurprisingly, conflict followed in reference to the interpretation of events, leading to the eventual completion of multiple projects.
On the one hand, the other two artists provided a romanticized view of Onate and the overall conquest.
Image via: Taylor Gypsies
On the other hand, Morse created an immersive art experience in Numbe Whageh, which translates to “Your Center Place.”
Image via: Public Art Archive
Existing primarily below sidewalk level, Numbe Whageh encompasses the Pueblo culture’s connection to nature—it features pieces of rock, plants, and carvings from various pueblos, all connected in this place.
Morse explains that the piece contains layers of meaning and symbolism, perhaps most striking in the spot where the other sculpture, glorifying Onate, lays its shadow overtop the earth. “You have to think,” she says of experiencing Numbe Whageh.
Amid all of these impressive features, Morse revealed that she provides the upkeep for the piece herself, travelling often to New Mexico. “Stewardship lasts a lifetime,” she said of the maintenance. “It’s actually an honor.