Sovereignty

Trust Responsibilities

The responsibility for the Indian Trust Land falls under the administration and funding by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and through their respective agencies as required by federal law.

The SFIS land currently held in trust for the 19 Pueblos through P.L. 106-568 has become the sole responsibility of Santa Fe Indian School as directed through individual resolutions by the 19 Pueblo Governors and their Tribal Councils.

This trust management responsibility has been absorbed by the school’s unrestricted funds. However precedence for federal funding of the property has been established through minimal funding allocated by the Department of Interior to contract funds for technical services regarding SFIS involvement in the PNM v. Anaya water rights case. Another source of program operations has been the Bureau’s operation of a CFR court.

To strengthen the sovereign status and management authority under said status, the Board of Trustees is working on the development of a political subdivision, "Santa Fe Indian School District," which would be the administrative arm for these core sets of trust management responsibilities,

Law enforcement and safety
Tribal or contracted CFR courts
Water rights (litigation and negotiation)
Realty (trespass and leasing) (Section 106 requirements)
Facilities operations and management
Taxation
Sovereignty protection
Economic development