Indianz.Com > News > Cherokee Nation: ‘A profound moment for Native people’
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The flag of the Cherokee Nation is seen during the Tulsa Native American Day Parade in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on October 14, 2024. Photo: Cherokee Nation
Chief Hoskin issues statement on President Biden’s apology on Indian Boarding Schools
Friday, October 25, 2024
Indianz.Com

President Biden’s apology is a profound moment for Native people across this country. I applaud the President for acknowledging the pain and suffering inflicted on tribes and boarding school survivors, which is long-overdue.

Our children were made to live in a world that erased their identities, their culture and upended their spoken language. They often suffered harm, abuse, neglect and forced to live in the shadows.

Oklahoma was home to 87 boarding schools in which thousands of our Cherokee children attended. Still today, nearly every Cherokee Nation citizen somehow feels the impact.

We are grateful to President Biden and Vice President Harris, and largely Secretary Haaland for her role in ensuring these truths were exposed and for leading the efforts in the Boarding School Road to Healing Initiative.

The significance of this public apology by the President on behalf of this nation is amplified and an important step, which must be followed by continued action.

The DOI’s recommendations, especially in the preservation of Native languages and the repatriation of ancestors and cultural items, can be a path toward true healing.

Our work at Cherokee Nation is ongoing – we are developing our own repatriation and boarding school healing plans to honor those children and families affected and ensure our culture and language thrive for future generations.

We know from experience that true healing goes beyond words – it requires action, resources, and commitment. Cherokee Nation publicly acknowledged our own role in the painful history of Cherokee Freedmen and have worked to address positive change, and so too can this country.

My administration will continue to advocate for justice for all those impacted by the boarding school-era policies. We stand today with all tribes impacted by this painful chapter in our nation’s history as our Cherokee people heal and move forward.

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