"Congress is now considering an official apology to "all Native Peoples on behalf of the United States."

The merits of such an apology are the very chapters that make up the history of the United States. The proposed, official U.S. apology cites "broken treaties" and "bloody confrontations and massacres." It tells of official condemnation of native religions and the removal of children from their parents and families. Senate Joint Resolution 37 also records how the ancestors of "today's Native Peoples inhabited the land of the present-day United States since time immemorial and for thousands of years before the arrival of the peoples of European descent."

Argue all you want over the apology, this is where the story turns ironic. While Congress considers how sorry it is -- it also acted to steal more native land (one more time, for old time's sake)."

Get the Story:
Mark Trahant: Apology is fine but justice is better (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer 7/11)

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