For the third straight year, one of Santa Fe's culturally based landmarks was vandalized during Indian Market weekend.

The Cross of the Martyrs, a memorial in downtown Santa Fe dedicated to the memory of 21 Franciscan friars slain during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, was painted red sometime before Friday.

That is when the vandalism was discovered by members of Caballeros de Vargas, who own and maintain the private property where the cross stands.

"It is the third year in a row they've done this, and it wasn't just some random graffiti," said Gilbert Romero, a past president and current member of Caballeros de Vargas. "They had to have had a ladder to get to the top, and you can tell they used rollers."

Romero pointed out that two plaques on the white cross — one listing the names of the 21 slain friars and the other explaining the memorial is owned by Caballeros de Vargas — were not painted and haven't been in either of the past three years when similar vandalism took place.

"You can see they used a small brush to go around the plaques so the paint wouldn't get on that part," Romero said. "It's hard to explain, really. We are not saying it has anything to do with Indian Market at all, but it has happened on the Thursday or Friday of the Indian Market weekend for the past three years."

The story of the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, and the ensuing Spanish reconquest of Santa Fe in 1692 by Don Diego de Vargas, is an important part of the rich history of Santa Fe. But not everyone agrees on the details.

"For a long time, the (Catholic) Church called it a peaceful conquest," said Herman Agoyo, a longtime member of the San Juan Pueblo Tribal Council who has served as both governor and lieutenant governor of Ohkay Owingeh. "I think that has sort of become the accepted terminology, but there was a lot more harm to it than just a peaceful conquest."

Agoyo added that the vandalism "is a real shame, and I don't know anybody who would condone something like that."

Through the years, some have expressed concerns about the annual glorification of de Vargas' reoccupation of the city during Fiesta de Santa Fe, arguing it is a celebration only of the Spanish version of events.

Under a link explaining the history of the event on the website santafefiesta.org, the first paragraph reads:

"The cry of 'Viva la Fiesta' has been reverberating through the streets of Old Santa Fe every autumn for 298 years. The sound generates a curious blend of thanksgiving, revelry and pride in the hearts of Santa Feans who celebrate Fiesta annually to commemorate Don Diego De Vargas' peaceful reoccupation of the City of Holy Faith in 1692."

Agoyo said while there is more to the story, it is a history that may never fully be explained.

"I think there are some parts of the story that have been held onto by some of the pueblos (of Northern New Mexico)," Agoyo said. "Some don't want to tell their parts of the history, so all people had to go on for so long was the Spanish version of the story and the oral descriptions by some of the (tribal) elders, but not ever the whole story."

Santa Fe Police Chief Aric Wheeler on Monday evening said he was unaware of the previous vandalism, but said that it is apparent whoever is behind it is trying to make a statement of some sort.

"We'll have to look at this differently than being just some random general vandalism case," Wheeler said. "If they're being that meticulous with what they're doing, they're obviously trying to make a statement, but unless we have some very specific message that went along with it indicating what they were trying to say, I would be very cautious in trying to assume just what this is all about just yet."

Romero said the vandalism has cost Caballeros de Vargas about $500 a year to clean up and comes at a time when the group is busy with preparations for the upcoming civic celebration.

"We're a religious organization that does an awful lot for the community, and we just can't afford to be fixing this every year," Romero said. "I just pray it stops. It's not easy for us. We have so many things going on right now as we prepare for Fiestas and can't afford to keep doing this. It's just not right."

Romero said he can't think of any significant event that caused the vandalism to begin three years ago and emphasized he does not want to suggest there is any tie to Indian Market other than the timing of the vandalism each of the past three years.

Anyone with information on the vandalism is asked to call Santa Fe Police at 428-3710.

Contact Geoff Grammer at 986-3076 or ggrammer@sfnewmexican.com.