ABQjournal: San Juan Pueblo Tries To Change Name By Martin Salazar, Journal Northern Bureau

SAN JUAN PUEBLO — The green sign off N.M. 68 north of Española says San Juan Pueblo, but mention that name to Pueblo Gov. Joe Garcia and he’ll likely correct you.

The pueblo plans to officially change its name back to what it was before Spanish missionaries arrived in New Mexico more than 400 years ago. It has already changed some signs and is identifying itself by its original name in correspondence.

“It’s Ohkay Owingeh (pronounced O-keh o-WEENG-eh),” the ponytailed, gray-haired governor said during a recent interview, casting aside the Spanish name bestowed by Don Juan de Oñate during his 1598 expedition to New Mexico.

Oñate christened the pueblo San Juan de los Caballeros when he took possession of it on July 12, 1598, according to “The Place Names of New Mexico,” a reference book considered an authority on names in the state. Oñate chose the name to honor his patron saint — John the Baptist. …

The book Place Names of New Mexico by Robert Julyan lists the pueblo’s original name as O’ke and translates the word as “we are the brothers.” But Garcia said Ohkay is Tewa for strong and Owingeh means place or village, adding that his translation of the name is “place of the strong people.”

“It sets our purpose in life, but it also impacts the perception we get from the rest of the country,” Garcia said. “It means a lot more.”