President Biden to Issue Historic Apology for Federal Indian Boarding School Era

Washington, DC — President Biden will issue a historic apology at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona tomorrow, acknowledging the federal government’s role in the Indian boarding school system that forcibly removed Native children from their families and communities for over 150 years.

The boarding school era is a dark chapter in U.S. history, marked by the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse endured by many children and the loss of at least 973 lives, according to a report from the Department of the Interior.

From 1819 through the 1970s, the U.S. government established and supported federal Indian boarding schools designed to assimilate American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children. These institutions aimed to strip Indigenous children of their language, culture, and identity through harsh, often abusive methods. According to the Federal Indian Boarding School Investigative Report, many children suffered physical and emotional abuse, and some never returned home.

In 2021, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary, announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to examine the boarding school system’s legacy and its lasting impact on Indigenous communities. The investigative report, led by Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland, was released in two volumes, the first in May 2022 and the second in July 2024. It detailed the number of schools, burial sites, and student deaths while also outlining policy recommendations for healing and redress.

The full investigative report can be found on the Bureau of Indian Affairs website: Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. U.S. Department of the Interior. https://www.bia.gov/service/federal-indian-boarding-school-initiative.

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