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About the Salt River Day School Project
Are you familiar with the old Salt River Day School on the corner of Longmore and McDowell? If you’re a SRPMIC tribal member or have spent a significant amount of time in the Salt River Community, of course you’re familiar with it!
As one of the Community’s most prominent historic landmarks, the Salt River Day School has been in its current location for nearly a century. For a little over 70 of those years, children from the SRPMIC attended the school for its day-to-day educational purposes, however, the building also often served as a gathering place for a variety of community functions throughout its existence.
In fact, the whole surrounding property is an important historic site for the Salt River Community, as there once stood several “Salt River’s firsts” in the location: school, administration offices, fire station, police station, jailhouse, tribal court, health clinic, community building, museum, and rodeo grounds, just to name a few.
Those who understand the unique spirit, character, and identity of this place, recognize that historical events, for better or worse, played a significant role in shaping our Community’s present. Therefore, the past must be documented, studied, and remembered for the edification of our own and future generations.
Which brings us to today…this historic day school building and its adjacent teacher’s dormitory, is in the process of being restored as part of the Salt River Community’s overall preservation plan, which requires staff to “Identify, evaluate, preserve, and protect significant historic properties and archaeological sites within the Community” (Goal 5.1.1 of the SRPMIC General Plan).
When this project is completed, the day school buildings will not only have met the goals of historic documentation and preservation but will provide a newly designed flourishing space for community and culture. The buildings will house, not only the new offices and workspaces for Cultural Resources Department to continue their work, but also, multiple indoor and outdoor spaces for cultural education, activities and events!
Altogether, the newly restored site will function as a bridge between our histories and a future we will create from the strength of our Community, our culture, and our traditions.
Day School Renovation Project Intro
The historic Day School on the northeast corner of Longmore and McDowell is currently being renovated and is scheduled to be completed in 2025. The day school is located south of the SRPMIC Cultural Repository and west of the Community Garden. When completed, the historic school and teachers’ dormitory will become new offices, classrooms and work spaces for the SRPMIC Cultural Resources Department (CRD). A number of indoor and outdoor spaces will also be available for other programs, groups and Community members to schedule and use for cultural classes, presentation, practices, gatherings, etc. Before opening, the facility will receive a new O’odham-Piipaash name reflective of its new function as cultural learning center for the Community. The project also includes new retention areas to prevent flooding and extended parking for events. Native plants will be used for landscaping throughout the project area.
- The overarching goal is to provide and support the most cultural services to the most community members (not just what the best serves the department).
- Preserve as much of the historic buildings as possible per the SRPMIC General Plan (Goal 5.1.1: Identify, evaluate, preserve and protect significant historic properties and archeological sites within the Community). Utilize the historic buildings to educate the public about early SRPMIC history.
- Concentrate all Cultural Resource Department (CRD) staff and work spaces into one concentrated area so as to improve workflow, collaboration and synergy.
- Create a facility that supports improvement and expansion of CRD functions/services and simultaneously supports other group and individual cultural preservation efforts in the community.
- Incorporate as many relevant ideas from the 1990’s Cultural Center plan as possible. This plan includes important contributions from many different community representatives (e.g. O’odham, Piipaash, leadership, elders, youth, artists, traditional practitioners, etc.).
- Evaluate and plan for current and future CRD and greater community needs concerning language/culture preservation, maintenance and revitalization efforts and activities.
- Develop the day school as a cultural facility that functions both independently and within the bigger concept of a Cultural Center.
2004 – The new Cultural Resources Department and the Strategy B Team – “Culture and Traditions” recommended completion of the stalled 1990s cultural center project. The historic day school and the surrounding property were proposed as the future site for a cultural center.
2007 – The historic Salt River day school closed. The community began efforts to transfer the BIA day school and property to the SRPMIC. The CRD continued planning for a potential cultural center at that location.
March 2016 – During a council work session regarding master planning of the Longmore-McDowell area, council approved having the CRD develop a sub-master plan for the transferring BIA property with the stipulation that “the day school must be used to its fullest extent. Make it functional.”
August 2018 – A draft sub-master plan for the transferring BIA property was presented to council by the Cultural Resources Department. The draft sub-master plan included preservation of the day school and adjacent historic structures for cultural educational programming.
September 2018 – The Cultural Resources Department commenced meeting with Public Works and ADM Design Group to work on post remediation program planning for the day school and adjacent historic structures. This work was funded by approved CIP funding.
May 2019 – The Cultural Resources Department, Public Works and ADM Design Group presented initial day school programing plans to tribal council for feedback and to advocate approval to move forward with the subsequent design phase.
June 2019 – Day school and surrounding land transfer from the BIA to the SRPMIC was completed.
June 20, 2019 – Work Session with Council. CRD was directed to present programming plans at district meetings for Community feedback.
District A Meeting (CM Enos)
Saturday, July 27, 2019 | 9:00 am (Tentative)
Ba’ag Conference Room – Council Chambers
District B & C Meeting (CM Kashoya / CM Doka)
Saturday, July 13, 2019 | 9:00 am
SR Community Building
District D Meeting (CM Grey)
Saturday, July 20, 2019 | 10:00am
Council Chambers
District E Meeting (CM Largo)
Monday, July, 22, 2019 | 6:00 pm
Lehi District Meeting (CM Dallas / CM Scabby)
Tuesday, July 16, 2019 | 6:00 pm
Lehi Community Building
October 3, 2019 – Council work session – Presentation of community member comments to Council.
January 22, 2020 – ADM Awarded contract for Design Phase. Kick off planning meeting.
March 19, 2020 – SRPMIC implements essential services only plan due to COVID19. This slightly delays design planning efforts.