In a historic move, President Joe Biden issued a formal apology to Native American communities for the atrocities committed against Indigenous children in federal Indian boarding schools. Speaking in Arizona’s Gila River Indian Community, Biden apologized to all tribal nations for the trauma endured across generations, marking a solemn moment in U.S. history.
Acknowledging a Painful Past
“For 150 years, the U.S. government failed to apologize for the suffering caused by these programs,” Biden said. “Today, I formally apologize as President of the United States for what happened”. This apology is long overdue.”
Established in 1819, federal Indian boarding schools forcibly assimilated Alaska Native, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian children into White American culture. Removed from their families and communities, these children were stripped of their identities. Biden described this as “one of the most horrific chapters in American history,” and held a moment of silence to honor those who suffered.
Abuse and Loss in Federal Indian Boarding Schools
During his speech, Biden acknowledged that many children experienced severe emotional, physical, and even sexual abuse in these schools, with hundreds never returning home. Many who did survive faced lasting trauma. The president’s words shed light on a dark period, a reality endured long after the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Generations of children were stolen and taken to places where they had to abandon their language, culture, and sacred practices,” Biden explained. Institutions stripped arriving children of their clothes, chopped off their hair—often considered sacred—and replaced their names with English names or numbers.
Honoring Survivors and Generations Affected
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve in a U.S. Cabinet, has close ties to this history. Her grandparents faced forcible removal to Catholic boarding schools at age eight. Haaland’s presence emphasized the deep generational wounds and resilience of Indigenous people. She noted, “These boarding schools affected every Indigenous person I know. We all carry the trauma.”
Haaland spearheaded the first federal investigation into this era, revealing over 500 Indigenous children’s deaths at 19 federal boarding schools and uncovering 53 burial sites. She shared that institutions commonly used corporal punishment, solitary confinement, food deprivation, and whipping. Haaland said, “This trauma was inflicted by the agency I now lead.”
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Federal and Religious Institutions’ Roles
The U.S. government partnered with religious institutions, primarily Presbyterian, Catholic, and Episcopalian, to operate these boarding schools. Their goal was to erase Indigenous culture. They sought to enforce White American norms.
But Haaland emphasized the resilience of Native communities: “The federal government failed to annihilate our languages and traditions. We persevered.”
Looking Forward with a Commitment to Remember
The investigation seeks to preserve the memories and stories of those affected. Speaking emotionally on Air Force One, Haaland remarked, “For decades, we hid this terrible chapter from our history books. Now, our administration will make sure that no one ever forgets.”
This apology is a significant step in honoring and acknowledging Native American histories, an essential commitment to healing, reconciliation, and resilience for Indigenous communities across the U.S.
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