Albuquerque Indian School was created in hopes of reflecting the values presented by the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. The Carlisle School, which was known to completely isolate its students from their communities and cultures, was superintended by Richard Henry Pratt - most notable for his quote "Kill the Indian...save the man". 

The hopes to rule with an iron fist did not last long in Albuquerque, as the educators began to understand what little power they had in comparison to the Pueblos. In order to receive the government funding AIS desperately needed in order to stay open, they would need to increase enrollment. To create further incentive for tribes to attend boarding schools, superintendents would threaten to cut off a tribe’s access to government resources and supplies, per their treaty agreements with the United States government. 

Pueblo communities were able to create conditions of their own: if their children were to attend AIS, they should be able to come home for the summer break. However, this permission was granted, and almost all Pueblo students would go home for their summer breaks.  Leaders and parents also frequently visited the school, often taking their children away for the weekends. This was uncommon for off-reservation boarding schools, as giving students freedom of movement almost completely disrupts the "assimilation" process; however, the Albuquerque Indian School desperately needed their patronage and were willing to accommodate them in order to increase enrollment. 

Pueblo elders and parents began to believe that sending their children to attend the school was something inevitable. Anglo influence was unrelenting, and did not seem to be going away any time soon.

“Not only did the boarding schools fail to destroy Indianness, but they actually helped lead to the creation of a new pan-Indian identity, as students met members of other tribes around the nation."

Gram, 2015, p. 6

Cultural Rentention at AIS

Upon entry to the school, students did not get new names. This is because their names had already been changed during the centuries of Spanish colonization. Pueblo people had already battled with the concept of dual identities, and before the time the Indian School was founded, they had begun using their Spanish names to the outside world. The sacred names given to them by their family and community were used privately. Because of this dynamic, AIS staff saw no use in changing their names once again, and they did not want to face backlash from Pueblo communities, as their relationship was already tense. In other areas of the country, the act of renaming was much more common, as it was seen as a way for students to step into a new version of themselves. They were often named after famous people, historical figures, or given plain anglicized names to further the assimilation process. 

Another instance of cultural resistance is the school's refusal to keep children from participating in their native dances. Behaviors and activities were subject to policing by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Charles Burke. He believed the practice to be a hindrance to assimilation. AIS Superintendent Reuben Perry believed that these dances caused no harm and were not worth going through the trouble of restricting. He encouraged Burke to disregard the "issue" altogether.

“…during a time of great persecution from top bureaucrats, Pueblo culture found advocates in the midst of the very institutions that were the vanguards in the effort to destroy it.” 

Gram, 2015, p. 24

There is no evidence that leads us to believe that Albuquerque Indian School was an abusive institution. In fact, a unique form of discipline began in 1925, when twice a month a handful of tribal councils would meet at the school in order to hear reports on their children, learn of disobedience or ill behavior, and punish them accordingly. These punishments often took the form of public shaming. These council meetings went on until at least 1932. This shows us that AIS still operated with heavy influence from the tribes, and thus, the students did too. 

The struggles of the Great Depression drew criticism to Native American boarding schools, which were very expensive to maintain. Their effectiveness in transforming students was also called into question. Because of this, many of the off-reservation boarding schools were closed. With the Johnson O'Malley Act of 1934 subsidizing Native children's education and medical care, children on reservations began their education in day schools, then to public schools. 

AIS became the school for students who often could not assimilate into public school. In the 1960s, 75% of AIS students had been expelled from another school system. Despite this, the All-Indian Pueblo Council requested that the school stay open, as it provided the opportunity for students to socialize with other tribes and learn a trade. In 1977, the school changed hands to the AIPC. This went on until 1981 when the school was abandoned due to health concerns.