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Biden Issues First Presidential Apology for Indian Boarding Schools During Arizona Visit

Oct 25, 2024, 06:00 AM

President Joe Biden has formally apologized to Native Americans for the U.S. government's role in the forced assimilation and abuse of Indigenous children through federal Indian boarding schools, a policy that lasted from 1819 to 1969. During his first presidential visit to Indian Country, at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, Biden issued the historic apology—the first formal acknowledgment by a U.S. president—for the 150-year policy that forcibly separated Native American children from their families and attempted to erase their culture. Over 950 children died in these government-run schools, where they faced physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. "I formally apologize as president of the United States of America for what we did," Biden stated. "It's long overdue." The president's apology, joined by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, aims to address the lasting trauma and intergenerational impact on Native American communities and is seen as a crucial step toward healing and reconciliation.