"I would never have guessed in a million years that something like this would happen. It's a big deal to me. I'm sure it will be a big deal to all of Indian Country," said Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, highlighting the significance of President Biden's forthcoming apology for the Indian boarding school system. Haaland emphasized her personal connection as someone whose grandparents were forcibly sent to a boarding school, marking a historic moment for recognition and healing.
"It documented nearly 1,000 deaths and 74 gravesites associated with the more than 500 schools... No president has ever formally apologized for the forced removal of Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children, an element of genocide as defined by the United Nations," underscoring the devastating impact of the boarding school system and the historical absence of governmental acknowledgment of these atrocities.
"One of the recommendations of the final report was an acknowledgment of and apology for the boarding school era. Haaland said she took that to Biden, who agreed that it was necessary," revealing the process that led to this pivotal moment of accountability and recognition from the federal government.
"This will be one of the high points of my entire life," said Haaland, who expressed her honor to play a role in the apology, showing both personal and collective significance of the acknowledgment for Indigenous communities.
#native-american-rights #presidential-apology #indian-boarding-schools #historical-injustice #indigenous-communities
Collection
[
|
...
]