Biden Apologizes for Historic Native American Boarding School Abuse

President Joe Biden issued an apology for the role of the U.S. government in running abusive Native American boarding schools. This marks a significant acknowledgement of the long-lasting devastation and cultural assimilation experienced by Native American communities.

In a historical gesture, President Joe Biden officially apologized on Thursday for the United States government's complicity in operating abusive Native American boarding schools. For over a century and a half, these institutions were instrumental in erasing Native American culture and identity through aggressive assimilation tactics.

This apology comes in the wake of a probe initiated by U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who has highlighted the disgraceful legacy of federal boarding school policies. According to a report by her department, at least 973 children lost their lives in these schools, underscoring the severity of their impact.

From 1819 through the 1970s, the U.S. implemented policies to assimilate Native cultures, spending over $23 billion in today's terms on enforcing these efforts. These schools inflicted profound physical and emotional abuse, contrasting similar reconciliatory actions by Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

(With inputs from agencies.)