Official statements or press releases from tribal nations

President Biden to Issue Historic Apology for Indian Boarding School Abuses During Arizona Visit

Oct 24, 2024, 07:28 PM

President Joe Biden is set to issue a rare and historic presidential apology for the U.S. government's role in the Indian boarding school system, which spanned 150 years and caused significant harm to generations of Indigenous children. The formal apology will be delivered during a speech at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona on Friday. The boarding school policy, which was supported by the federal government in the 19th and early 20th centuries, forced Indigenous children into abusive institutions that devastated their lives and those of their descendants, resulting in nearly 1,000 deaths. This apology marks Biden's first diplomatic visit to a tribal nation as president.