The mystery figure appeared at twilight at a rendezvous point in a clearing of piñon trees. He opened his rucksack and revealed plunder hidden for 20 years: the bronze right foot, including spur and stirrup, severed from a statue of Don Juan de Oñate, the despotic conquistador of New Mexico.

“Tributes to the criminals of our history seem to be attracting a bit of attention these days,” said the self-described foot thief, clad in sunglasses, a kaffiyeh head covering and a floppy fishing hat. “I’m back on the scene to show people that Oñate and his supporters must be shamed.”

His shadowy mien and pugnacious talk seemed more suited for coffeehouse ventilating than actual political sabotage. But to many in New Mexico and beyond, the amputation holds a great deal of significance.

The mystery of Oñate’s missing foot has endured since the 1990s, feeding long-simmering tension between Hispanics and Native Americans. And just as cities, states and colleges have been grappling with Confederate monuments, acrimony over the Oñate statue reflects a broader questioning around the country of symbols promoting the conquest of American Indians.