Biden Apologizes for US Treatment of Native American Children

Laveen, Arizona —(Map)

On Friday, President Joe Biden visited the Gila River Indian Community near Phoenix, Arizona. He offered an official apology to Native Americans for the US government’s long history of removing Native American children from their families and forcing them into boarding schools.

For over 150 years, the US government took Native American children away from their parents and families, and sent them to boarding schools. Some of the children involved were as young as four years old.

The program started in the early 1800s and only ended in 1969. There were over 400 boarding schools in 37 states. Some schools were run by the US government, others were run by churches, but paid for by the government.

The goal of the program was to separate the children from their culture and train them to live like white Americans.

At the boarding schools, the children were made to have their hair cut. Most were forced to become Christians. The children were punished if they spoke their Native languages or followed the traditions of their families. Over 973 children are known to have died because of diseases or lack of food. Many, many others were mistreated.

In July, the US Department of the Interior released a report on the boarding school system, saying that close to 19,000 Native American children were sent to the schools. The report said that the schools had caused lasting damage to Native American families and cultures. The report also encouraged the US government to apologize for the program.

During his visit to the Gila River Indian Community, President Biden admitted that the boarding school system had caused great pain and suffering. He called the program a “mark of shame”. He said, “I formally apologize as president of the United States of America for what we did.”

Mr. Biden’s statement marks the first time an American president has apologized for the program. “No apology can or will make up for what was lost,” Mr. Biden said, “But we’re finally moving forward into the light.”

Mr. Biden was joined by Deb Haaland, the US Secretary of the Interior. She is the first Native American to be part of the US Cabinet. Ms. Haaland spent over a year visiting Native American groups around the US to hear about their experiences in the schools. Ms. Haaland’s own grandparents were forced to attend boarding schools.

Mr. Biden was joined by Deb Haaland, the US Secretary of the Interior. She is the first Native American to be part of the US Cabinet. Ms. Haaland’s own grandparents were forced to attend boarding schools. Above, Ms. Haaland speaking last Friday.

Many people who heard Mr. Biden speak said they were happy to hear the apology. Ramona Klein, who was forced to attend a boarding school 70 years ago, said, “I’m proud to have lived to see this.”

But some people also said that the apology was only a beginning. Chuck Hoskin Jr., who leads the Cherokee Nation, called the apology an “important step”, but said that the US government now needed to take action to show that it was serious about making things better.

The report from the Department of the Interior said the US government should create a memorial for the children who died at the schools. It also called for government support to help Native American languages and cultures grow stronger.