Bernalillo Indian Boarding School

Loretto’s school at Bernalillo opened in April 1875 as a day school for local children. It did not at first include Native American children but did have 15 orphan girls whose tuition was paid by the Territory of New Mexico — it is possible some of these were native children.

In about 1885, “In the poor and humble Convent the Loretto Indian School was opened with eight pupils from the Pueblo of Isleta, N.M. During the first year, four sisters were employed as Superintendent, teacher, matron and cook.”

As the school progressed the sisters found their building too small. Bishop Salpointe (Bishop of Santa Fe), Reverend Joseph A. Stephen (Director from 1886 of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions) and Mother Drexel (foundress of the Blessed Sacrament sisters and the St. Catherine Indian School in Santa Fe), all contributed to the $8,000 cost of raising a building “for an Indian school of 65 girls” with dormitories, classrooms, parlors and so on. The school was completed and blessed on the last Sunday of November. 1887.

1886-87 the number of students reached 60, from the Navajo, Teguas, Tihus and Queres of the Pueblo tribes. They ranged from 7 to 17 years of age. “As this was an Indian Government contract school, the income was from [the U.S. Government].”

1887-88 “The contract school was extended to 82 Indian girls. It might be well to remark here that when first brought to the school the Indian children had not the least idea of civilized life, not even the larger ones knew how to attend to their own toilet, or dress them- selves. As none of them under- stood any other language but their Indian dialect, the sisters were able to make them understand only by signs …. [Within the first year] they could speak and read the English language quite well.”

1889-90 “A new contract for the Loretto Indian School was made between the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions. The number of pupils being increased. … Agent M.C. Williams in his report of 1888 says, ‘The Boarding School for girls located at Bernalillo under the supervision of Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions has had the maximum number of pupils called for, in the contract, and has made marked progress. It is a model school and the buildings are perfect.’”

1891 There were disputes between the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the head of the Bureau of Catholic Missions that resulted in separate contracts directly between Indian Affairs and the individual schools. But the contract with Bernalillo, once made, was not honored and the Loretto sisters were strapped for funds. Before the year was out, the differences were resolved.

1891 The sisters purchased a farm of 34 acres that contained fruit trees, grape vines, vegetable and grain and alfalfa fields. “As the school property stands today, it is worth $35,000. There are in all nine buildings.” [It is to be assumed that the buildings included the separate academy for non-Native students.]

“This same year the public school system was opened in New Mexico. Three sisters of Loretto and three Christian Brothers took the examination in the court house in Albuquerque and all received first class certificates.”

1893 A two-story building and a chapel were completed.

1895 “We sent specimens of the Indian girls’ work in drawing, needlework, plain sewing, etc., to the Columbian Exposition in Chicago where they received recognition and were awarded many prizes. Our sisters go to the various Pueblos at the opening of school each year to gather the Indian children. On these trips they have had many strange experiences.”

1897 “In the early days the sisters were few but they were noble-hearted and self sacrificing. Many a time they remained up till after midnight sewing for the Indians. The sisters conducted the public school as well as the Indian School and they always had a large attendance.”

1897-1925 Commentaries in the annals concern both the Indian School and the public school — which got a new building May 1922, blessed by the Archbishop of Santa Fe with many clergy and religious in attendance.

The annals comment about the value of having a priest on the Public School Board. He would assure that the sisters would continue to be hired in preference to lay teachers. Only in 1930 was a fourth year of public high school opened, so the school graduated 10 diploma students in the spring of 1931, making the sisters’ school the first four-year high school in Bernalillo …. “For 12 years before that, a two year commercial school had been operated in connection with the Government Indian School …. In those days 100 Indians were attending the boarding school in Bernalillo.”

1933 “Our schools closed early this year, for want of funds …. No one was sent to teach the Indians so Sister Ann Thomas Roche came from Mora to help us till Reverend Mother could send us a sister ….”

1934 “Only one sister came to fill vacancies left by three. Sister Mark Marie will teach one room in the Indian School and a lay woman, Mrs. Carolina Olivas, presides over the second room.” “There is an epidemic of flu and measles among our pupils in town and in the Convent. Our Christmas vacation began on the 22nd of December and many of our Indians and boarders left for their homes today.”

1935 “Visiting doctors spent one week in the schools taking blood tests from the Indian children, principally in the interest of science. They also took from each, foot and hand prints and a lock of hair.”

May 15, 1935 “Many little Indians go home today, as their school is closed. Pablo — our Indian overseer — met with a painful accident while driving out to the hills to get pine trees for decorating the stage for the closing exercises …. He was sent to the Indian Hospital in Albuquerque for treatment.”

1936 “When school opened, fall 1936, the Indian School rooms were used for the public school. Mother Katherine Drexel’s allowance for the education of Indian girls was withdrawn at this time. Notification was received from the Catholic Indian Bureau stating that they had to reduce their quarterly payments for the present and would discontinue them altogether after July 1937. After obtaining the necessary permission from the Catholic Indian Bureau and the County School Superintendent it was agreed to have Indian girls, about 45 in number, attend our public school.”

1937 “After due consideration during the summer 1937 it was decided to close our Indian School. Every sister, especially those who had worked with the Indian children hated to see this done. But it was, made necessary by the withdrawal of all support for the maintenance of the Indians.”

1941 “July 12 BROUGHT US A LETTER FROM MOTHER GENERAL TELLING US TO DISCONTINUE TAKING BOARDERS. This was welcome news for most of the Community.” Enrollment for September 1941: High School 158; Grade School 185.