President Biden is anticipated to issue a formal apology for the federal government’s involvement in Native American boarding schools during his visit to Arizona on Friday.
Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis mentioned in an interview that the apology is set to be part of Biden’s first official visit to an Indigenous community as president.
First time a sitting U.S. president publicly apologizes
This message would mark the first time a sitting U.S. president publicly apologizes for a federal policy that caused significant harm to tribal communities.
The White House stated that through this apology, Biden recognizes the importance of acknowledging the nation’s full history, even when it is painful, in order to learn from it and ensure such events are never repeated.
Biden is expected to deliver his apology at the Gila Crossing Community School, according to Lewis. The trip also serves as a strategic visit to Arizona, a key swing state, just weeks before Election Day, where Biden aims to strengthen support among Native American voters in a closely contested race.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who has been leading the “Road to Healing” tour to provide survivors of boarding schools a platform to share their experiences with the federal government, will accompany the president.
Why is Biden apologizing?
Earlier this year, the Department of the Interior released a report confirming that at least 973 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children had died in the boarding school system.
Lewis emphasized that the apology would initiate healing and reconciliation, as well as acknowledge this tragic chapter in history. He noted that the visit follows an earlier one by Vice President Harris to the same community.
The federal government operated over 400 boarding schools between 1819 and 1969, with the goal of complete cultural assimilation, according to the Interior Department’s investigation. During Haaland’s tour, tribal members shared accounts of physical abuse, neglect, and efforts to eliminate their Native languages and cultures.
Biden on trip to Arizona
Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Mark Macarro, president of the National Congress of American Indians and chairman of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, and Whitney Gravelle, chairwoman of the Bay Mills Indian Community, are expected to join Biden on the trip to Arizona.
Lewis remarked that bringing President Biden to the community symbolizes a critical step in the administration’s journey toward healing, as promised by Biden two years ago during his discussions with tribal leaders.
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