Albuquerque Indian School Cemetery at 4H Park to get a fence

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A sacred final resting place in an Albuquerque park, has sparked calls for years, to better protect it. Now, after years of community input, the city has a new plan. “The fence itself is just going to be going around the burial site itself,” said Terry Sloan, City of Albuquerque, Intergovernmental Tribal Liaison. 

That fence will be placed in the east corner of what’s now 4H park near Menaul and Prospect. From 1882 to 1933 that space was used as a burial site for faculty and students from Albuquerque Indian School. “For whatever reason it was not maintained as cemetery itself and that is an issue the city has apologized for,” said Sloan. 

In the 1970s, the city took ownership of the land and leased it out, eventually turning it into a park. In 1973, while digging for a new irrigation system, they uncovered remains at the site. The city added a plaque to commemorate history, but that plaque later disappeared. 

After a series of public meetings in 2021, tribal representatives and community members agreed on a fence to protect the site. “It’s important that we really look at respecting the site and that’s what we are expecting to do. Respect it as a place for our relatives that are buried there,” said Sloan. 

The city says even the fence itself won’t be built into the ground but will be connected to the sidewalk instead to avoid impacting the burial site. The city is looking to turn the area into a memorial. “We are wanting to tell the true story of what happened, how the Indian school became what it was, and everyone provides input on it, so we get it historically correct,”  said Sloan. 

The city expects the fence to be done at the end of the month.T hey hope the memorial will be completed within two years.