The recent expansion in the number of children known to have died in U.S.-funded Indian boarding schools has sparked a call for action and healing. The Interior Department, led by Secretary Deb Haaland, has accepted responsibility for the repressive system that separated Native American children from their families and communities for more than a century.
The report from the three-year investigation revealed that the federal government spent approximately $23 billion in today’s dollars on the boarding school system from 1871 to 1969. This report has expanded the previous understanding of the system, adding more schools and burial grounds to the record.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland acknowledged the deliberate and strategic actions taken by the federal government to isolate children from their families and deny them their identities, cultures, and languages. The report also highlighted the lasting impact of the boarding school system on tribal communities today.
The investigation confirmed that at least 973 children died while attending these schools, with 74 marked or unmarked burial sites identified at 65 schools. One proposed initiative is to repatriate the remains of children who never returned home from the schools. Additionally, the report advocates for a national memorial to acknowledge the harm caused by the boarding school system.
To address the trauma inflicted by over a century of forced assimilation, the report recommends a significant investment of $23.3 billion back to the tribes. This investment would be spread out over time and allocated to programs such as family reunification, language revitalization, and Indian education.
Secretary Haaland emphasized that the journey towards healing does not end with the report but is just beginning. The report calls on the U.S. government to issue a formal apology and continue the work of documenting this dark period in history. By investing in healing programs and acknowledging the harm caused, the government aims to make amends for the atrocities committed in the name of assimilation.
