Washington, DC – The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) welcomes and celebrates President Joe Biden’s apology for the abuses committed against Native children, their families, and their communities by the federal Indian Boarding School System.
Contact Tim McHugh: media@fcnl.org, 202-903-2515
Today’s apology in Arizona’s Gila River Indian Community represents a major step forward in the work to heal the relationship between perpetrators and victims of Indian boarding schools. “I know no apology can or will make up for what was lost during the darkness of the federal boarding school policies. But today, we’re finally moving forward into the light,” said Pres. Biden.
“We welcome this long overdue step by the government to acknowledge and apologize for the atrocities committed against Indigenous children, families, and nations through the Indian boarding schools. But after an apology must also come action. Congress should pass the bipartisan Truth and Healing Commission act before it adjourns this year,” said Bridget Moix, FCNL’s general secretary. “We call on faith communities who were complicit in the boarding schools system, including our own, to publicly apologize and support practical repair and healing for Native communities. Truth, justice, and healing are the only way forward for us all.”
While this apology is a crucial step forward, it does not absolve the federal government of its responsibility to materially address the past harms and consequences of the Indian Boarding Schools Era. Congress must pass the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act (H.R. 7227, S. 1723) this year. It is needed to fully investigate, document, and acknowledge the federal government’s role in attempting to destroy Native communities through assimilative practices.
Congress drafted laws, authorized funds, and ordered the enforcement of the policies we now recognize as the Indian Boarding School Policies. While it is encouraging to see President Biden apologize for the role of the executive branch in carrying out the Indian Boarding School Policies, only Congressional action can bring the truth-telling which Native survivors, their families, and their communities have waited so long.
“This is a historic moment for Native people and communities. For decades, we have carried the stories of the children who attended boarding schools in our fight for federal acknowledgement of the myriad abuses Native children endured. President Biden is the first president to acknowledge the pain of those government abuses,” said Rachel Overstreet, FCNL’s legislative representative for Native American advocacy.
She added that the apology comes at a crucial moment, when Congress is set to consider whether to launch a commission to investigate the Indian Boarding School polices. “We hope that President Biden’s leadership will inspire legislators to continue the work of truth, healing, and justice,” said Overstreet.
To learn more, please visit www.fcnl.org.
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