History of the Albuquerque Indian School: A Thesis for the Degree of Master of Arts in History

Albuquerque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico, 1934. Very Good Condition/None as issued. History of the Albuquerque Indian School--A Thesis for the Degree of Master of Arts in History, Lillie G. McKinney, University of New Mexico, 1934. 10 5/8 x 8 1/4 inches. 164pp.

Carbon copy of master's thesis bound in black pebbled cloth with gilt title on spine. Light wear and rubbing. Toning to pages. Tight binding. Blind embossed stamp for University of New Mexico on title page. Very Good Condition.

Thesis for the Degree of Master of Arts in History by Lillie G. McKinney (1898-1991).

From the introduction: "The civilization of the American Indian has been slow, difficult and expensive for our government. Different administrations have tried to different policies. Usually, some method of force was used down to 1876. Force meant the final extinction of the race. About the only education that filtered in among the savages was the result of the labors of the heroic missionaries who established schools among them from 1819-1876 subsidized by meager sums from the government. The greatest pioneer missionary among the Indians of the Rocky Mountain area was Sheldon Jackson of the Northern Presbyterian Church from 1838-1909, He has been called the "pathfinder and prospector of the missionary vanguard. By personal appeals to wealthy churches and individuals in the east he supplemented the small sums allowed by the government in educating Indian youths. In 1869 he became superintendent of missions under his church. From this time until 1876 he was actively engaged in establishing mission schools in all the western territories, especially in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana., Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. In 1876, under President Grant, the new policy of educating Indians under strict government control was much more successful than his "peace policy" (forcing them to live on reservations and securing peace by feeding them). In 1887, under President Cleveland, the Dawes Act was passed which provided individual ownership of lands and citizenship for such holders. In addition, a liberal provision was made for educating Indian youths on reservations, and the appointment of more agents to protect them against the injustice of the white man. This was a generous and humane policy toward the Indians. It may well be called the Indian Bill of Rights."

Given the recent reports of abuse in Indian Schools of the west, this 1934 thesis likely would provide context for the operation of the Albuquerque Indian School. From Wikipedia, "Albuquerque Indian School (AIS) was a Native American boarding school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which operated from 1881 to 1981. It was one of the oldest and largest off-reservation boarding schools in the United States. AIS was modeled after the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, using strict military-style discipline to strip students of their native identity and assimilate them into white American culture. The curriculum focused on literacy and vocational skills, with field work components on farms or railroads for boys and as domestic help for girls. In the 1930s, as the philosophy around Indian education changed, the school shifted away from the military approach and offered more training in traditional crafts like pottery, weaving, and silversmithing." The school closed in 1981.

New Mexico Historical Review in 1945 apparently published this thesis in serial format, although we have not determined whether the report was published in its entirety.

One copy at University of New Mexico as of March 2024.