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Federal Commission to Probe Abuses at Native American Boarding Schools

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Proposed federal commission would investigate abuses at Native boarding schools

From 1819 to 1969, hundreds of thousands of Native American children were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to boarding schools far from their families. These institutions, run by churches and the federal government, aimed to strip Native Americans of their cultures and force assimilation.

Conditions in these schools were dire. Overcrowding and unsanitary conditions made them breeding grounds for tuberculosis and other diseases, leading to the deaths of an estimated 40,000 children. Arizona alone was home to 59 such schools.

A congressional move seeks accountability for these past policies. “We cannot rectify the past until we face it head-on,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, during a Senate discussion. “There isn’t an indigenous community in this country that hasn’t been affected.”

A bipartisan bill with 32 Senate co-sponsors intends to establish a “Truth and Healing Commission.” This commission, similar to post-apartheid ones in South Africa, would investigate the impact of Native American boarding schools on families and tribal communities. It would hold hearings, gather testimonies, and wield subpoena power to uncover hidden histories.

The commission would also recommend how this dark history should shape current federal policies. Warren, alongside Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, introduced the bill, with both Arizona senators, Independent Kyrsten Sinema and Democrat Mark Kelly, co-sponsoring.

Historical records show Oklahoma had more Native American boarding schools than Arizona. Thomas Morgan, a federal Indian Affairs Commissioner, infamously remarked, “It’s cheaper to educate Indians than to kill them,” during the establishment of the Phoenix Indian School in 1891. Captain Richard Henry Pratt founded the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, which became the model for these institutions and infamously declared, “Kill the Indian, save the man.”

The education provided was often inadequate. Children faced physical abuse and were starved if they spoke their native languages, practiced their religion, or resisted assimilation. Sexual assault was also rampant. A Washington Post investigation identified 122 priests and student workers accused of molesting Native American children, often without facing repercussions.

Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colorado, spotlighted similar incidents in his state. Fort Lewis College, formerly the “Fort Lewis Boarding School,” had a superintendent known for raping girls. Staff were instructed to make pregnant students “disappear,” Hickenlooper revealed.

“Why was our government preying on our own children?” Hickenlooper questioned. He emphasized the government’s responsibility to uphold treaty rights and address this dark history, stating, “This obligation cannot be met without securing truth, justice, and healing for every Native person, family, and tribe affected by these genocidal policies.”

Native American parents who resisted were often incarcerated or had their food rations cut off. Warren recounted armed men prying young children from their families on reservations. Many parents never saw their children again.

An investigation by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet member, found at least 53 mass graves of Native American children from these schools. Haaland herself had parents who were forced to attend these institutions.

The number of living survivors is unclear, but Warren stressed the urgency of letting them tell their stories before it’s too late. “Most of those affected have passed away, but there are survivors in their 60s, 70s, and beyond,” she said. “These people have been harmed enough. Their wounds go deep, and they deserve a chance to stand before the United States government and tell their stories.”