Santa Fe Indian School reclaims its mission through language and culture
Once founded to assimilate Native children, the tribally controlled school now centers Indigenous languages, traditions and identity
The Santa Fe Indian School, established in 1890 as a federal boarding school intended to assimilate Native children, now serves as a tribally controlled institution focused on preserving Indigenous culture and language. According to reporting from GPB, students and staff are reshaping the school's legacy through Native-centered curriculum, language instruction and efforts to reclassify library materials that students say portray Native people as history rather than living communities.
The school offers instruction in about 11 Indigenous languages and allows tribes to guide what students learn. Kyle Shutiva, a junior at the school, said the library recategorization project reflects that mission. "We're just trying to decolonize this area," he said. "[The] 970s [of the Dewey Decimal System, where Native American materials are categorized] show that Native Americans are history, but we're still here, truly." Language teacher Tasha Pino, an alumna of the school, said teaching is a way to give back. "Being able to give back to my community and to my students," she said, "this is the way I can do that."
- 1.Sequoia Carrillo. Once designed to strip Native students of culture, this school now safeguards it. George Public Broadcasting.
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