SANTA FE, N.M. — Two controversial statues of historical figures in New Mexico may be coming out of storage.

It was almost four years ago when Santa Fe city leaders decided to remove a statue of Diego de Vargas – one of the last Spanish governors of New Mexico – from a city park. It was just one week after protesters tried tearing down a statue of Juan de Oñate in Albuquerque and Santa Fe leaders worried their statue was next.

Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber and Tesuque Pueblo Gov. Milton Herrera announced Thursday that they reached an agreement to display the statue of Diego de Vargas inside the New Mexico History Museum and install a relatively new statue of the Tesuque runners – Catua and Omtua – inside the Santa Fe Convention Center.

“These are important historical and cultural figures, and they need to be out in safe, respectful public places,” Webber said.

“Both the statues have their own history, and this is the history that our kids need to learn about, in an honest way,” Herrera said.

The pair of Tesuque runners immortalized in the statue – which has never been displayed publicly – were key figures in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Historians say their capture and execution largely ignited that uprising, leading to the deaths of more than 400 Spaniards and forcing more than 2,000 colonists out of New Mexico.

12 years later, those colonizers returned under the leadership of Diego de Vargas. His troops surrounded Santa Fe and demanded Pueblo leaders surrender, which they did.

His so-called “bloodless reconquest” is commemorated every year during the Fiestas de Santa Fe, which faced its own backlash in recent years.

During the news conference Thursday, one man pulled out a sign detailing all the deaths caused by the Tesuque runners, while protesters outside waved signs calling the de Vargas statue racist.

Pueblo leaders say that animosity is a big reason why they’re doing this.

“We are not reliving history. Rather, we are coming together to acknowledge history,” said James Mountain, chairman of the All Pueblo Council of Governors. “To place these statues in recognition of our histories shows a collective, bipartisan effort of our people in our communities, and the ability and opportunity to collectively agree and commit to a truthful acknowledgment of that history and to learn from it.”

The new plan is not a done deal just yet. Santa Fe city councilors still have to sign off on it, and they’re expected to hear what the public thinks during next Wednesday’s meeting.

So what does this mean for the controversial obelisk that was torn down in Santa Fe Plaza? It’s still in a giant wooden box. A plan to rebuild it was overwhelmingly shot down last year.

Webber told KOB 4 that city leaders are mostly focused on the statue plan, and suggested it’s a first step at figuring out a plan for the obelisk.