U.S. Senator Brian Scahtz, D-Hawaii, who is the chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, responded to President Joe Biden’s formal apology for the federal government’s Indian boarding school system.
“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 Schatz. “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.”
In his statement, Schatz advocated for the passage of legislation to establish a federal commission to investigate, document and report on the Indian boarding school system and long-term impacts on Native communities. The legislation would also make recommendations for federal entities to aid Native communities in healing and provide a forum for victims to talk about human rights violations.
“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 Schatz.
President Joe Biden issued the apology Friday during a speech at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona. The apology comes after the U.S. Department of Interior released an investigation into the Indian boarding school system.
Between 1819 and 1969, the federal government operated hundreds of Indian boarding schools across the country, including seven in Hawaii. During this period, the federal government took Indigenous children from their parents and sent them to boarding schools. The investigation revealed that hundreds — and possibly thousands or tens of thousands — of children died while they were in the abusive school system. The schools used corporal punishment, including withholding food and flogging children. They also renamed American Indian children with English names, cut off their hair, and tried to strip students of their religion, culture and language.
Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.