Indianz.Com > News > Senate Committee on Indian Affairs: ‘Now Congress must act’
Schatz, Murkowski Statements On President Biden’s Formal Apology For Indian Boarding Schools
Friday, October 25, 2024
Indianz.Com
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), vice chairman of the Committee, released the following statements on President Joe Biden’s formal apology for the federal government’s former Indian Boarding School policies.
“For more than a century, the federal government’s Indian Boarding School policies and practices stole hundreds of thousands of Native children from their homes in an effort to destroy Native languages, cultures, and identities. It’s an unconscionable chapter in our nation’s history, with a lasting legacy that continues to affect communities today. President Biden’s formal apology is a significant step toward confronting the dark history of these policies. Now Congress must act – the federal government also has a solemn responsibility to chart a path toward healing. Earlier this year, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs advanced legislation to establish a federal commission to investigate, document, and acknowledge the historical injustices of the federal boarding school policies. Equally as important, the bill would provide crucial supports for survivors and their descendants. Passing this bill is a moral imperative, and I will continue to work with my colleagues to move quickly so we can begin to deliver the justice, closure, and support Native communities deserve,” said Chairman Schatz.
“I commend the President for his apology to all the survivors and Native communities which continue to be impacted by the tragic legacy of the Indian boarding school era. This acknowledgement of the pain and injustices inflicted upon Indigenous communities— while long overdue— is an extremely important step toward healing,” said Vice Chairman Murkowski. “These actions reinforce the importance of confronting this egregious chapter in history and strengthens my resolve to get my legislation to create a Truth and Healing Commission signed into law.”
Search
Filed Under
Tags
More Headlines
StrongHearts Native Helpline: An apology for ‘mistreatment of our children’
Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women: ‘The boarding school era represents one of the darkest chapters in American history’
USET/USET SPF: ‘Together, we can shed a more truthful light on our history’
National Endowment for the Humanities: ‘An important milestone for all of us’
National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center: ‘Healing from this violence requires more than acknowledgment’
Native American Church of North America: A ‘historic apology’ to Indian Country
National Indian Health Board: ‘We view this as a step toward healing, but the journey is far from over’
Navajo Nation Council: ‘This apology is a first step’
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona): ‘For generations, Native children were taken from their families and communities’
Tunica-Biloxi Tribe: ‘Young tribal citizens suffered unspeakable harms’
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs: ‘Now Congress must act’
VIDEO: President Joe Biden at Gila River Indian Community
VIDEO: Secretary Deb Haaland at Gila River Indian Community
Oneida Indian Nation: ‘They are not a distant memory for us’
Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico): ‘A step in the right direction’
More Headlines
Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women: ‘The boarding school era represents one of the darkest chapters in American history’
USET/USET SPF: ‘Together, we can shed a more truthful light on our history’
National Endowment for the Humanities: ‘An important milestone for all of us’
National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center: ‘Healing from this violence requires more than acknowledgment’
Native American Church of North America: A ‘historic apology’ to Indian Country
National Indian Health Board: ‘We view this as a step toward healing, but the journey is far from over’
Navajo Nation Council: ‘This apology is a first step’
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona): ‘For generations, Native children were taken from their families and communities’
Tunica-Biloxi Tribe: ‘Young tribal citizens suffered unspeakable harms’
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs: ‘Now Congress must act’
VIDEO: President Joe Biden at Gila River Indian Community
VIDEO: Secretary Deb Haaland at Gila River Indian Community
Oneida Indian Nation: ‘They are not a distant memory for us’
Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico): ‘A step in the right direction’
More Headlines