The 19 Pueblos of New Mexico are planning to use the Santa Fe Indian School for economic development but details are still being worked out.

The tribes began razing part of the campus in preparation for some form of development. But they are seeking a change in federal law in order to allow commercial activities at the site.

“Eventually, it will go into commercial development,” Ed Calabaza, a spokesperson for SFIS, told The Albuquerque Journal. “This is by no means a shovel-ready type of project."

In 2000, Congress placed the school in trust for the All Indian Pueblo Council through Public Law 106-568. The law states that the land must be used for "educational, health, or cultural purposes."

H.R.1556, which passed the House by a voice vote on Monday, amends the law to allow the land to be used for "economic development projects" that benefit the school.

The bill does not change a different section of Public Law 106-568 that bars gaming at the site.

Get the Story:
Lawmakers May Change Property Rule for Santa Fe Indian School (The Albuquerque Journal 6/21)

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