Anticipated apology from Biden over federal administration's involvement in Native American boarding schools.
Biden is set to declare his apology at Gila Crossing Community School outside Phoenix on Friday, marking his inaugural visit to Native American territories as president.
As stated by the White House on Thursday, the historical federal Indian boarding schools policy was implemented to eradicate Native American culture, language, and identity through relentless military and acculturating practices. The president acknowledges that it's crucial for the nation, who cherishes its heritage, to acknowledge and educate its comprehensive history, even if it entails discomfort. The learning from this past will ensure it never resurfaces.
This anticipated apology was first mentioned by The Washington Post.
In 2021, the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet secretary, initiated the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to assess the consequences of federal boarding school policies. Amidst publishing the final report this summer, the department confirmed the deaths of at least 973 Native American children in these federal schools. The survey revealed at least 74 gravesites, both identified and unmarked, at 65 different schools.
Over 18,000 children were abducted from their families and forced to attend more than 400 Indian boarding schools spread across 37 states and territories, ranging from 1819 to 1969.
At the time, Haaland addressed the situation, stating that as the head of the department responsible for these actions, the federal government deliberately isolated children from their families, stripped them of their identities, and took away the foundational elements of Native American languages, cultures, and connections through policy. These procedures inflicted profound trauma on Indigenous communities, and the Biden-Harris administration is actively endeavoring to heal these wounds.
One of the report's suggestions was for the US Administration to admit its part in these boarding schools and provide a formal apology to those impacted by its policies. However, the report didn't specify who should be responsible for issuing the apology.
Gila River Indian Community governor Stephen Lewis shared with CNN that the boarding school era remains a deeply disturbing period that continues to impact the community through generations due to the resulting trauma.
“This apology will be particularly significant for boarding school survivors and their families,” Lewis stated. “My hope is that disclosing this somber history with this apology will serve to educate about it moving forward and prevent the reoccurrence of this extremely painful and traumatic period.”
The report from the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative strongly recommended that the US Administration admit its role in the boarding schools and issue a formal apology to those affected. Biden's upcoming apology at Gila Crossing Community School is seen as a significant step towards healing the generational trauma caused by the boarding school era and preventing its recurrence.
