Biden’s Landmark Apology for Indian Boarding Schools: Acknowledging the Unspoken Shame

In a historic moment for Indigenous communities, President Joe Biden formally apologized for the United States government’s involvement in the Native American Boarding School system, which inflicted lasting harm for generations. Standing before an audience of Indigenous people at the Gila River Crossing School in Arizona, Biden addressed the painful legacy of this system.

“After 150 years, the federal government has never formally apologized for what happened,” Biden stated. “Until today — I formally apologize, as president of the United States of America, for what we did.” This statement was greeted with enthusiastic applause from those in attendance, marking Biden as the first sitting president to visit a Tribal Nation in a decade.

During his remarks, Biden emphasized the importance of delivering this apology at a tribal school, underscoring its significance within an Indigenous community rich in culture. He acknowledged that it was long overdue, insisting that the United States must confront its historical wrongs. “It’s long, long overdue,” he asserted. “There’s no excuse that this apology took 150 years to make.”

Biden outlined the deep shame that the boarding school policies have cast on the nation, stating, “For those who went through this period, it was too painful to speak of. For a nation, it was too shameful to acknowledge.” He expressed gratitude to boarding school survivors and descendants for their courage, mentioning, “This formal apology is the culmination of decades of work by so many courageous people.”

The President’s apology follows the release of a final report by the Department of Interior in July, which documented the extensive trauma inflicted by the boarding school system and called for acknowledgment and reparative actions. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who introduced Biden, noted the significance of recognizing the ancestors who endured these hardships. “We tell those stories because Native American history is American history,” she declared.

Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe, emphasized that the federal boarding school system has caused intergenerational trauma for countless Indigenous families. “For Indigenous peoples, these schools were places of trauma and terror,” she explained. “Tens of thousands of Indigenous children were taken from their families and forced into these institutions.”

As protesters raised issues of justice for Palestinians during the event, Biden allowed their voices to be heard, reiterating the need for awareness of suffering around the world. “There’s a lot of innocent people being killed and it has to stop,” he stated, before continuing his address focused on the boarding school era and future investments in Indian Country.

Crystalyne Curley, speaker of the Navajo Nation Council, reflected on the emotional weight of Biden’s words, recalling her grandfathers’ stories of boarding school trauma. “It was long overdue,” she remarked, commending the president for acknowledging past wrongs. Curley highlighted the lasting effects of these policies on language and culture and called for meaningful federal investment in Indigenous education and community well-being.

The federal investigation into the boarding school system identified over 400 schools and 70 burial sites across the nation, including 47 in Arizona, illustrating a painful history of cultural assimilation enforced through education and often physical punishment. “Many of our children didn’t come home,” Curley lamented, emphasizing the ongoing reluctance of families to engage with federal educational institutions because of this legacy.

Post-apology, Native organizations have urged immediate action. Cheryl Crazy Bull of the American Indian College Fund insists on significant investments to heal the damage done. “The Native people we support deserve that investment,” she asserted. Crystal Echo Hawk of IllumiNative called for fuller accountability from the government, including transparency about the scale of abuses and a commitment to restorative efforts.

As the nation reflects on this historic apology, the emphasis now lies on healing and rebuilding, requiring an extensive commitment to Indigenous communities. “For healing to take place, it takes at least two generations,” Curley noted, urging that this be a priority moving forward.