NORMAN, Okla. — In a significant diplomatic move, President Joe Biden is set to issue a formal apology during his inaugural visit to a tribal nation, acknowledging the United States’ historical involvement in the Indian boarding school system, which inflicted deep suffering on countless Indigenous children and their families.
Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, who is from the Pueblo of Laguna, expressed her astonishment at the importance of this event, stating, “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.”
After her appointment as the first Native American to lead the Department of the Interior, Haaland initiated an inquiry into the boarding school system. This investigation uncovered that over 18,000 children, some as young as four, were forcibly removed from their families to attend institutions aimed at cultural assimilation, effectively stripping their tribal nations of their heritage and land. The investigation also revealed nearly 1,000 deaths linked to these schools and identified 74 burial sites tied to the more than 500 facilities.
Historically, no president has formally addressed or apologized for the enforced removal of Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children — an act that aligns with definitions of genocide as outlined by the United Nations — nor for the broader context of devastation faced by Indigenous communities in the United States.
As part of the investigation’s second phase, the Department of the Interior facilitated listening sessions to capture the stories of survivors. One critical recommendation arising from the final report was that the administration should recognize and apologize for the boarding school era. Haaland brought this recommendation to President Biden, who concurred on the significance of this acknowledgment.
Haaland, whose own grandparents experienced forced attendance at a boarding school, expressed her pride in contributing to the apology’s realization alongside her team. She will accompany Biden as he makes this landmark address, noting, “It will be one of the high points of my entire life.”
While the apology marks a meaningful step, the future actions that may follow remain uncertain. The Department of the Interior is currently working to return the remains of children that are on federal lands, though many tribal nations continue to face challenges with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps has been reluctant to adhere to federal laws concerning the return of Native American remains, particularly for those interned at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania.