Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, Indigenous people in the United States and Canada were forced to attend boarding schools—known as residential schools—designed to culturally assimilate them into so-called civilized society. The schools were infamous for their cruelty, a major facet in the web of atrocities committed against Indigenous peoples by those who colonized their land.
In Canada, nearly 1000 bodies have been found in mass graves on the schools' grounds. One mass grave held at least 751 people.
This past week, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland—the first Indigenous cabinet secretary in U.S. history—announced the creation of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative for the United States to investigate the scope of its residential schools in order to "shed light on the unspoken traumas of the past."
Watch below.
US to probe Native American boarding school impactwww.youtube.com
Haaland said in an address to the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI):
"I know that this process will be long and difficult. I know that this process will be painful. It won't undo the heartbreak and loss that so many of us feel. But only by acknowledging the past can we work toward a future that we're all proud to embrace."
Haaland pointed out that there has never been a federal effort to fully document the scope of the policy and the height of its cruelties.
NCAI President Fawn Sharp said in a statement:
"The National Congress of American Indians commends the Department of Interior for taking the essential first step of providing an official account of the atrocities that Native children experienced during the boarding school era. By documenting who, what, when and where these egregious abuses occurred, Native families may not be able to fully heal, but they may be able to begin to reconcile with the past."
The news was celebrated on social media.
All of thishttps://twitter.com/secdebhaaland/status/1407422018698592256\u00a0\u2026— Johnna James (@Johnna James) 1624508161
Important.https://twitter.com/secdebhaaland/status/1407422018698592256\u00a0\u2026— Jordan Marden (Johnson) (@Jordan Marden (Johnson)) 1624394116
Chi-miigwech, Secretary Haaland. \n\nI\u2019ve been waiting for this for a long time.https://twitter.com/secdebhaaland/status/1407422018698592256\u00a0\u2026— Marguerite Croft (@Marguerite Croft) 1624413683
Thank you @SecDebHaaland for helping Native communities heal from the traumas of the boarding school era by addressing it head on.https://twitter.com/secdebhaaland/status/1407422018698592256\u00a0\u2026— Ginger Sykes Torres (@Ginger Sykes Torres) 1624391208
I am a descendant of survivors. I am a survivor of rape by a boarding school survivor who endured assaults while in school. I work in community and see the impact not just on myself, but on our entire community. I am grateful to @SecDebHaaland for this step forward to healinghttps://twitter.com/secdebhaaland/status/1407422018698592256\u00a0\u2026— Abigail Echo-Hawk (@Abigail Echo-Hawk) 1624411849
It\u2019s about time.https://twitter.com/secdebhaaland/status/1407422018698592256\u00a0\u2026— Dr. Kylie Huckleberry (@Dr. Kylie Huckleberry) 1624584803
Wopila tanka @SecDebHaaland. This has been a long time coming and I hope is a wake up call for church denominations who committed to repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery in the last decade. Now is the time for truth and healing. https://twitter.com/secdebhaaland/status/1407422018698592256\u00a0\u2026— Sarah Eagle Heart\u26a1\ufe0f (@Sarah Eagle Heart\u26a1\ufe0f) 1624493441
People praised Secretary Haaland's leadership.
Thank you, Secretary Haaland.https://twitter.com/SecDebHaaland/status/1407422018698592256\u00a0\u2026— Casey Kulla (@Casey Kulla) 1624391590
This is 1000% why #RepresentationMatters thank you @SecDebHaaland for making a commitment address to this harmful part of our history. #councilorAF #strongindigenouselectedhttps://twitter.com/secdebhaaland/status/1407422018698592256\u00a0\u2026— CouncilorAF (@CouncilorAF) 1624393463
Thank you @SecDebHaaland. This initiative is needed.https://twitter.com/SecDebHaaland/status/1407422018698592256\u00a0\u2026— Imam Asad Zaman (@Imam Asad Zaman) 1624397806
The Department is undoubtedly bracing for some gut-wrenching discoveries.
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