Sovereignty

Trust Land

Santa Fe Indian School sits on approximately 115 acres of land within the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico. This land was placed into trust through the P.L. 106-568 Omnibus Indian Advancement Act, under Title XIII, subtitle B, "Santa Fe Indian School Act," signed by President Clinton on December 27, 2000.

SFIS, originally the Albuquerque Indian School, was established in the late 1800s as a federal, off-reservation boarding school. The All Indian Pueblo Council (AIPC) contracted for the operation of the Albuquerque Indian School campus in the 1970s, and the Albuquerque school program was moved to Santa Fe in July of 1979.

In October, 1976, the Pueblo Governors, and the Santa Fe Indian School Board of Education, now known as the Board of Trustees, mandated the P.L. 93-638, Indian Self-Determination Act contract be transferred from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to AIPC.  Eventually, the operation of the school changed from P.L. 93-638 to a Tribally Controlled School under P.L. 100-297, Indian Education Act, Title V, Part B Grant.  In 1987, the United States Department of Education identified SFIS as one of the 270 outstanding secondary schools in America.