tag: apologies

Carlisle Indian Industrial School
President Joe Biden is establishing a national monument at the site of one of the most infamous Indian boarding schools.
Michell Hicks
Tribal governments have struggled, fought, and bled for centuries to exist and maintain our cultures.
Wounded Knee Cemetery
Until the Wounded Knee Massacre medals are rescinded, America’s Medals of Honor will always bear the stain of mass murder.
Little Turtle (Michikinikwa) by Doug Hyde
Concerns about legitimacy continue to be a significant source of contention within the nation’s largest inter-tribal organization.
Tim Sheehy
A Republican in the White House isn’t the only big change Indian Country is facing as tribes seek to hold the U.S. government accountable for its trust and treaty responsibilities.
White Mountain Apache Tribe
Arizona was one of the last states to allow voting rights for Native people.
Native Americans for Harris
Native people have long felt like politicians overlook them, but both parties are seeking the Native vote more than ever before.
Gila River Indian Community
“It was long overdue,” said Crystalyne Curley, Speaker of the Navajo Nation Council.
Tim Sheehy and John Barrasso
In true double-down MAGA fashion, I don’t expect Tim Sheehy to apologize to the Crow Tribe or Indigenous peoples of Montana anytime soon for his gross misrepresentation of us.
Joe Biden
In the swing state of Arizona, President Biden formally apologized for U.S. government-run Native American boarding schools.
Gila River Indian Community
“The federal government has never formally apologized, until today,” President Joe Biden said during a historic visit to the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona.
Joe Biden
“Congress needs to act now and pass the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools Act, so we can learn from our past and make sure these wrongs are never repeated,” said Chief Executive Officer Francys Crevier.
National Congress of American Indians
“We urge Congress to pass legislation that would further illuminate this history and support the ongoing journey toward healing,” said President Mark Macarro.
Seneca Nation
“Our communities are still broken because of what we were forced to endure,” said President Rickey Armstrong, Sr.
NAFOA
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Indian Boarding School Students
Indian boarding schools notoriously worked to stamp out Native languages, religions, and cultures — along with traditional foodways.
StrongHearts Native Helpline
“It is our deepest hope that the apology opens the doors to restoration of those things lost due to boarding school era policies – our culture, traditions, and most importantly our languages,” said Chief Executive Officer Lori Jump.
Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women
“It is essential that this apology is not merely symbolic but is accompanied by actionable commitments to repair the harm done,” said CSVANW Executive Director Tiffany Jiron.
Buu Nygren
“For generations, Native children, including many Navajo, endured an education system that aimed to erase our languages, cultures, and identities,” said President Buu Nygren.
Rodney Butler, Crystal Williams and Marshall Pierite
“President Biden’s acknowledgment of the deep wounds caused by the Indian boarding school era is a crucial step towards healing and reconciliation,” said Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Nation.
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
“This is an important day for our country and for all Native peoples,” said Shelly Lowe, the first Native person to chair the National Endowment for the Humanities.
National Indigenous Women's Resource Center
Native peoples continue to endure the consequences of this era, evident in ongoing trauma, loss of cultural heritage, and persistent systemic inequalities, said the NIWRC.
Native American Church of North America
Apologies offer hope for continued healing, acknowledgment of a tragic historical record, and movement toward righting a wrong, said the Native American Church of North America.
Maria Cantwell
“The Indian Boarding School era left lasting, intergenerational scars on tribal families and communities,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington).
Joe Biden
“President Biden’s apology is a moment of validation for our communities, recognizing the profound trauma endured by generations of Native children and families—including my own mother,” said National Indian Health Board Chairman William Smith.
Crystalyne Curley and Eugenia Charles-Newton
“President Biden’s apology is a critical acknowledgment of past injustices and wrongdoings by the federal government, and it lays the groundwork for continued healing,” said Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley.
Mark Kelly
“For generations, Native children were taken from their families and communities in an inhumane attempt to erase their culture that led to the abuse and even murder of young students,” said Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona).
Marshall Pierite
“Today’s apology by President Biden on behalf of the United States government is both welcomed and long overdue,” said Chairman Marshall Pierite of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe.
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
“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,” said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii).
President Joe Biden at Gila River Indian Community
President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona on October 25, 2024.
Secretary Deb Haaland at Gila River Indian Community
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland speaks at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona on October 25, 2024.
Ray Halbritter
“Survivors live among our communities and the trauma they endured echoes through our families,” said Oneida Nation Representative Ray Halbritter.
Cherokee Nation Flag
“Oklahoma was home to 87 boarding schools in which thousands of our Cherokee children attended,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Ben Ray Luján
“Let us never forget the scars inflicted on our Native brothers and sisters,” said Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico).
Coalition of Large Tribes
“Indigenous communities have been subjected to trauma at every scale and dimension imaginable,” said COLT Vice Chairman Tracy King.
Jeff Merkley
“The Federal Indian Boarding School era was a shameful, dark chapter in American history,” said. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon).
President Joe Biden at Gila River Indian Community
President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona on October 25, 2024.
Benjamin Mallott
“This apology is an important step forward, but it must be accompanied by meaningful actions addressing these historical injustices’ ongoing impacts,” said AFN President Benjamin Mallott.
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
“Genocide, institutional racism, abuse in all forms, cultural disconnection, alienation and pressure to assimilate away from Native culture and identity have haunted our people for generations,” said the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.
Governor Stephen Roe Lewis of Gila River Indian Community
Governor Stephen Roe Lewis of the Gila River Indian Community welcomes visitors to his tribal nation on October 25, 2024.