North Texas Indigenous community reacts to Biden's apology for Native American boarding schools
NORTH TEXAS – The North Texas Indigenous community has reacted to President Biden's apology for the atrocities committed in Indigenous boarding schools, seeing it as a step toward healing and acknowledging the painful history of these institutions.
On Friday, Biden landed in Arizona and apologized for what happened to Native Americans from 1819 through the 1970s.
"I'm heading to do something that should have been done a long time ago. Make a formal apology in Indian nations for the way we treated their children for so many years," Biden said.
Texas Native Health, an urban Native American clinic that is a nonprofit organization run under the federal government, believes the president's apology will help the community begin to heal.
"Relief is one emotion that comes up," said Christopher Logan, the behavioral health manager for Texas Native Health and a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. He counsels those who have been in Indigenous boarding schools.
"It's my job to not only help a person walk through what has happened to them but also help them come to some conclusions about where they want their life to go," Logan said.
The purpose of the schools was to assimilate Native children into mainstream society.
"What happened after a child arrived at these boarding schools is they were not allowed to practice their native customs, their language, anything that would honor their heritage within these boarding schools," Logan said.
A federal investigation found almost 1,000 Indigenous children died in the boarding schools and countless others were abused.
"This came about through physical, sexual and emotional violence, and over time, as the children grew up in these schools, they lost their sense of heritage," Logan said.
Many of the boarding schools were not far from North Texas in neighboring Oklahoma. Logan hopes the apology can help the Native community move forward and put the rich culture back in focus.
"This is one step forward that is hopefully going to rewrite the future after so much has happened in the past," Logan said.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. also reacted Friday and issued the following statement:
"President Biden's apology is a profound moment for Native people across this country. I applaud the president for acknowledging the pain and suffering inflicted on tribes and boarding school survivors, which is long overdue.
"Our children were made to live in a world that erased their identities, their culture and upended their spoken language. They often suffered harm, abuse, neglect and were forced to live in the shadows.
"Oklahoma was home to 87 boarding schools in which thousands of our Cherokee children attended. Still today, nearly every Cherokee Nation citizen somehow feels the impact.
"We are grateful to President Biden and Vice President Harris, and largely Secretary Haaland for her role in ensuring these truths were exposed and for leading the efforts in the Boarding School Road to Healing Initiative.
"The significance of this public apology by the president on behalf of this nation is amplified and an important step, which must be followed by continued action.
"The DOI's recommendations, especially in the preservation of Native languages and the repatriation of ancestors and cultural items, can be a path toward true healing.
"Our work at Cherokee Nation is ongoing - we are developing our own repatriation and boarding school healing plans to honor those children and families affected and ensure our culture and language thrive for future generations.
"We know from experience that true healing goes beyond words - it requires action, resources, and commitment. Cherokee Nation publicly acknowledged our own role in the painful history of Cherokee Freedmen and have worked to address positive change, and so too can this country.
"My administration will continue to advocate for justice for all those impacted by the boarding school-era policies. We stand today with all tribes impacted by this painful chapter in our nation's history as our Cherokee people heal and move forward."
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Chief Gary Batton released the following statement regarding Biden's apology:
"The system of oppressive and deadly boarding schools is a dark chapter in the history of the United States, and the scars live on in Native American people.
"We welcome President Biden's apology as a step in the right direction and continuing the journey toward understanding and reconciliation between our people, our sovereign tribal nations and the United States.
"Acknowledging a painful past must be part of any true effort to atone and ensure all people are treated equally and with dignity.
"The Choctaw Nation will continue to educate people about our culture and history as we advocate for a bright, hopeful future."
