Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2025

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, it is always a good day when New Mexico is in the House, and we are in the House today with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, which is why I am so honored to be able to speak about my legislation supported by the entire New Mexico delegation, H.R. 6162, which is the Albuquerque Indian School Act.

Back home in New Mexico, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is a place for community, culture, language, celebration, education, and economic development for our 19 pueblos right in the heart of my hometown in Albuquerque.

What is now the nationally recognized Indian Pueblo Cultural Center was once the Albuquerque Indian School, which was established as an Indian boarding school in the 1880s. Although the school operated through 1981, Congress began efforts to return the property to New Mexico's 19 pueblos in 1969, and the center was reopened as a cultural center in 1976. Since then, Congress has passed a number of bills to place this land into trust for the benefit of the pueblos.

H.R. 6162 continues this important work, and this bill will transfer 9.89 acres of land that was historically a part of the former Albuquerque Indian School from the GSA to the Department of the Interior so that it can be taken into trust for the benefit of our 19 pueblos who helped to govern the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

The IPCC campus serves as a vibrant gathering place, where Pueblo culture is celebrated through community events, educational experiences, the arts, and economic opportunities for Pueblo and local economic development.

This property is managed by the All Pueblo Council of Governors and New Mexico's 19 sovereign Pueblos. This council traces its origins back to before 1598 and is one of the oldest, continuous intertribal governing organizations in North America today. It serves as a collective voice for the Pueblo nations. Through leadership, advocacy, and cultural stewardship, the council works to protect Tribal sovereignty and advance the shared priorities of our Pueblo communities.

Under the leadership and dedication of the Pueblos, a site that was once marked by trauma and cultural loss has been transformed into a place of renewal, resilience, and investment in Tribal communities. Since its opening in 1976, the IPCC has served as a living hub for Pueblo languages, art, culture, dance, storytelling, and empowerment of our Pueblo communities, right in the heart of our city, as thousands of visitors from all over the world come every year to visit.

We invite everyone across the country and the world to come visit and to join us in celebrating Pueblo culture. The center serves as a home not only to the thriving communities of our New Mexico Pueblo communities but also as a place for education. It is home to regional BIE and BIA offices; tribally run businesses; a Native-run charter school; and a meeting space, of course, for the All Pueblo Council of Governors.

Mr. Speaker, passing H.R. 6162 will allow the IPCC to continue to expand its work to promote cultural preservation, economic opportunity, community development, and economic development, while honoring the history, traditions, and enduring strength of the 19 Pueblos. It also represents another step in restoring Tribal stewardship over ancestral lands and ensuring that this historic site continues to serve future generations in New Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source