Creation of St. Catherine's Project Tribal Advisory Committee

WHEREAS, St. Catherine’s Indian School was founded in 1887 by Saint Katharine Drexel to serve Indian and African American children, providing support and education for countless numbers of New Mexico’s prominent leaders before graduating its last class and closing its doors in 1998; and

WHEREAS, Saint Katharine Drexel founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indian and Colored People and spent her personal wealth funding many schools like St. Catherine’s in five states, resulting in her canonization on October 1, 2000, as only the second American woman to become a saint; and

WHEREAS, for over 100 years, parents chose to send their children to St. Catherine’s because it embodied Saint Katharine Drexel’s unwavering devotion to serving and supporting children in the realms of education, art, religion, athletics and industry; and

WHEREAS, Saint Katharine Drexel’s profound dedication to fostering the wellbeing of children and enhancing their opportunities while at the same time supporting their cultural identities is reflected by the deep appreciation, loyalty and generational affection by alumni for all that St. Catherine’s was to them, their families and communities; and

WHEREAS, following St. Catherine’s closure in 1998, the property was placed on the State Historic Preservation Office’s Register of Cultural Properties in 2002 and in 2011, the State Cultural Properties Review Committee designated the property as an Historic District; and

WHEREAS, in 2016, after several failed efforts by private developers, the Santa Fe Civic Housing Authority (SFCHA) acquired the St. Catherine’s property, recognizing both the importance of sustaining its historical significance as well as its potential value as an income­generating investment that would enable it to pursue its mission of creating and sustaining safe, decent and affordable housing throughout northern New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, since acquiring the property SFCHA has considered how best to move forward with its restoration and development, while encompassing the legacy of Saint Katharine Drexel and the lived experiences of those whose lives were impacted at St. Catherine’s; and

WHEREAS, a group of prominent members of tribal communities who were alumni of St. Catherine’s gathered to share their lived experiences at St. Catherine’s at the invitation of Ed Romero, Executive Director of the Santa Fe Civic Housing Authority; and

WHEREAS, the voices of these distinguished and honorable members of tribal communities reflect a compelling story and affinity not only for the legacy of Saint Katharine Drexel but also the importance of preserving the positive influence St. Catherine’s had on generations of people in New Mexico and beyond; and

WHEREAS, SFCHA is committed to working with members of tribal communities and alumni, community members and other stakeholders to develop a commercially and sustainably viable project on the campus of St. Catherine’s that preserves and restores key original structures of the campus as a testament and enduring legacy while being beneficial to the community;

WHEREAS, the SF CHA board of commissioners considers Saint Katharine Drexel’s legacy, life’s work and vision and the lived experiences of former students to be critical in the planning process for the restoration and development of the St. Catherine’s campus; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the SFCHA board of commissioners creates the St. Catherine’s Project Tribal Advisory Committee to assist in and enhance SFCHA ‘s planning process for the St. Catherine’s Project by leading the effort to provide community and alumni  input, coordinating prominent school alumni in sharing the value of their experiences at St. Catherine’s and how those experiences defined and influenced their lifetime of public service for the betterment of all New Mexicans.

PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Commissioners of Santa Fe Civic Housing Authority on this 26th day of  September, 2024.