OHKAY OWINGEH — New Mexico honored Ohkay Owingeh storyteller and Tewa linguist Esther Martinez Blue Water (P'oe Tsáwä) on Saturday by unveiling a new roadside marker at the pueblo north of Española.

One of her many grandchildren, Matthew Martinez, called the event "a humbling experience."

"It is an honor to have a marker that recognizes her contributions to her pueblo and to others," said Martinez, speaking to the large crowd gathered at the site along N.M. 68. "She was a person steadfast to the end."

The wooden marker is the second of 55 that will be installed around the state in recognition of influential New Mexico women. The first marker was dedicated to the Sisters of Loretto last year in Santa Fe.

The marker program was conceived by three women — Pat French, Beverly Duran and Alexis Girard. They created the New Mexico Historic Women Marker Initiative and lobbied the Legislature to fund the project.

"As we drove around the state, we realized all the historic markers up and down the road were all for men," French said Saturday as she waited for the cutting of a silver ribbon around Martinez's marker. "This is to create a better balance."

"I think this is an incredible event," JoAnn Melcher of Santo Domingo Pueblo said as she waited in an elegant red dress for the ceremony to start. "It's nice to see the state honoring women who've made a difference in the state."

Martinez, born in 1912, was known as an exceptional storyteller. Her family said she could use almost anything as the source of a good yarn, even everyday events. "My mother's stories had such life and character," daughter Josephine Binford said with a chuckle. "You could see what she described. When she spoke, it was like she cast a spell."

First lady Barbara Richardson, speaking at the unveiling, recalled Martinez's accounts of being punished for speaking her native tongue and of raising 10 children. "She went on to almost single-handedly save the Tewa language," Richardson said. "What a fitting tribute to a woman who fought so long and successfully for the language and culture that she loved."

Martinez received many national honors for her work in preserving the language and stories of her people. She taught Tewa in the Ohkay Owingeh (formerly San Juan Pueblo) schools for years and created a Tewa dictionary. She traveled widely to share stories with non-Pueblo people. She received the Teacher of the Year award from the National Council of American Indians in 1997 and a year later was given the Governor's Award for Excellence.

In 2006, Martinez was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts. She was returning from a trip after receiving that award when she was killed by a drunken driver.

"I think we feel the loss all the time," said Adrianna Jones, one of Martinez's granddaughters. "The marker is a way to honor her spirit."

A reception, Mass and a special performance by the Sangre de Cristo Chorale followed Saturday's unveiling. The chorale gave the premiere performance of The Song of Blue Water, written in honor of Martinez.

All of the 55 women who will be honored with historic markers will be chosen by Dec. 15. A selection committee received hundreds of nominations from families and friends of women in all 33 counties and all tribes in the state. Each marker will cost about $5,000 to make, Girard said.

The historical marker initiative is a project of the New Mexico Women's Forum and is overseen jointly by the state Historic Preservation Division and Department of Transportation.

Contact Staci Matlock at 470-9843 or smatlock@sfnewmexican.com.