Many Quaker organizations, meetings, and churches are sharing their concern around Indigenous justice and Indian boarding schools. As Congress considers the bipartisan Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States Act (S. 2907/H.R. 5444), the time is now to speak truth to Congress while addressing Quaker complicity in creating this historic trauma .
The time is now to speak truth to Congress while addressing Quaker complicity in creating this historic trauma.
FCNL is collecting and sharing these minutes, statements, and other resources from Quakers about the need for a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian boarding school policies. We continue to work for polices that acknowledge the historic and continued atrocities, harm, and oppression against Indigenous peoples.
In Quaker meetings and churches, meeting minutes represent the wording of a decision or an agreed upon action to be taken by the meeting or church. FCNL recognizes the importance of meeting minutes both as advocacy tools and as a means of communicating to members of Congress how their constituents are thinking and acting on a particular issue.
If your organization, church, or meeting has approved a minute, statement, or resource on Indigenous justice and/or Indian boarding schools, please email it to Quakers@fcnl.org to include it in this collection. The Quaker Engagement team will follow up with you to offer support in sharing your minute or statement with your members of Congress as another way to change public policy through faith-in-action.
Meeting Minutes on Indigenous Justice and Indian Boarding Schools
- Minute on Truth and Healing Commission
- Memphis Friends Meeting (TN)
- Minute on Truth and Healing Commission
- Hartford Monthly Meeting (CT)
- Minute to Support Passage of the “Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the U.S. Act”
- Rochester Friends Meeting (MN)
- Minute Asking for Cosponsors for the “Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the U.S. Act”
- Purchase Quaker Meeting (NY)
- Statement Supporting the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools
- Boulder Friends Meeting (CO)
- Minute in Support of a Truth and Healing Commission for Native Peoples
- Strawberry Creek Friends Meeting (CA)
- Minute in Support of a Truth and Healing Commission for Native Peoples
- Port Townsend Monthly Meeting (WA)
- Minute on the Doctrine of Discovery and Quaker Indian Boarding Schools
- Madison Friends Meeting (WI)
- Minute in Support of a Truth and Healing Commission for Native Peoples
- Kansas Friends (KS)
- Minute in Support of a Truth and Healing Commission for Native Peoples
- Twin Cities Friends Meeting
- Letter Urging Support for a Truth and Healing Commission
- Midcoast Friends Meeting (ME)
Statements and Resources from Quaker Organizations
- Statement Supporting the Establishment of a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies
- Interfaith statement from Decolonizing Quakers
- The Quaker Indian Boarding Schools: Facing History and Ourselves
- Interview with Paula Palmer, Jerilyn DeCoteau, and Jane Westberg
Yearly Meeting Statements
- Minute Supporting the Establishment of a Federal Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the U.S.
- Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, PYM First Contact Reconciliation Collaborative, Salem Quarterly Meeting, and Salem Quarter Indian Affairs Committee
- Model Minute on Quaker Accountability for Indigenous Boarding Schools
- Friends Peace Teams, Decolonizing Quakers, Quaker Earthcare Witness
- Minute of Support for Indigenous People
- North Pacific Yearly Meeting
- Minute in Support of the Truth and Healing Commission for Native Peoples
- South Eastern Yearly Meeting
- Minute in Support of the Creation of a Truth and Healing Commission
- Alaska Friends Conference
- Minute in Support of a Truth and Healing Commission for Native Peoples
- Intermountain Yearly Meeting
- Minute in Support of the Truth and Healing Commission for Native Peoples
- New York Yearly Meeting
- Minute in Support of a Truth and Healing Commission for Native Peoples
- South Central Yearly Meeting
- Minute in Support of a Truth and Healing Commission for Native Peoples
- Baltimore Yearly Meeting
- Minute on Right Relationship with Native People
- Sierra-Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends