8 2 0 . ▁It ▁proved ▁difficult ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁new ▁republic ▁and ▁govern ▁out lying ▁territ ories ▁with ▁a ▁history ▁of ▁in sub ord ination ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁and ▁New ▁Mexico ▁enjoyed ▁a ▁brief ▁semi - aut onom ous ▁period ▁res emb ling ▁the ▁sal ut ary ▁neglect ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁colon ies . ▁In ▁American ▁history , ▁this ▁period ▁is ▁often ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" W ild ▁West ", ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁relative ▁absence ▁of ▁Mexican ▁authority , ▁which ▁left ▁the ▁region ▁open ▁to ▁inc urs ion ▁from ▁and ▁settlement ▁by ▁American ▁pione ers . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Mexican – American ▁War ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 8 , ▁the ▁territory ▁of ▁New ▁Mexico ▁was ▁c eded ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Z eb ul on ▁Pi ke ▁made ▁note ▁of ▁the ▁Sand ia ▁Mountains ▁during ▁his ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁expedition , ▁calling ▁them ▁the ▁" San ▁Dies ". ▁ ▁When ▁Indian ▁schools ▁were ▁built ▁in ▁Al bu quer que ▁and ▁Santa ▁Fe , ▁Sand ía ▁pup ils ▁were ▁in ▁attend ance . ▁Non eth eless , ▁American ▁culture ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁strong ▁effect ▁on ▁the ▁tribe ▁until ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁when ▁the ▁tribe ▁sacrific ed ▁eight ▁of ▁their ▁young ▁men ▁to ▁the ▁national ▁defense . ▁ ▁Trib al ▁authorities ▁have ▁sometimes ▁had ▁conflicts ▁with ▁state ▁and ▁federal ▁authorities . ▁They ▁have ▁sought ▁to ▁assert ▁their ▁long standing ▁claim ▁to ▁the ▁Sand ia ▁Mountains ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁r idge , ▁and