PHOENIX — In a historic address on Friday, President Joe Biden issued a formal apology for the United States’ role in the Indian boarding school system, which removed Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children from their families to assimilate them into white society. Speaking to the Gila River Indian Community near Phoenix, Biden called the boarding school program “a sin on our soul.”
“I formally apologize as the president of the United States of America for what we did,” Biden said. “It’s long overdue.”
The federal boarding school program operated from 1871 to 1969 and, according to a recent report from Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, saw over 18,000 children—some as young as four—taken from their homes. Many were subjected to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, with nearly 1,000 deaths and 74 gravesites documented across more than 500 schools.
Calling for a moment of silence for those affected, Biden reflected, “The pain that it caused will always be a significant mark of shame, a blot on American history.”
Haaland Reflects on Family’s Boarding School Experience
Deb Haaland, the first Native American Secretary of the Interior and a member of the Navajo Nation, spoke before Biden, expressing deep emotion as she recounted the trauma experienced by her grandparents, who were forced to attend a boarding school. Nearly 50 federal Indian boarding schools operated in Arizona alone, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
In her remarks, Haaland acknowledged the collective strength of the Native community. “Today’s event would not have happened without each and every one of you,” she said. “Without those who have shared their pain and have been vocal in the face of injustice. Together, we have persevered.”
Arizona Leaders Echo Support
U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, present at the event, described the apology as a powerful acknowledgment of the resilience of Indigenous people. “This apology is a powerful reminder of the resilience of Indigenous peoples and the importance of striving to live up to our highest ideals as a nation,” he stated.
Congressman Greg Stanton also commended Biden and Haaland for their leadership. “President Biden’s formal apology, and the leadership shown by Secretary Haaland on the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, is a long overdue, important step forward in acknowledging the United States’ darker history and generations of harm done,” Stanton said.
This apology marks a significant step in acknowledging the pain caused by the boarding school system, recognizing its impact on Indigenous families, and advancing the conversation around justice and healing for Native communities.
