On Oct. 25, President Joe Biden apologized for America’s implementation of Native American residential boarding schools. His apology speech was held at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona. Biden began his speech by saying, “I formally apologize as President of the United States of America for what we did. It’s long overdue.” Many Natives gathered to hear his speech, while many tuned in online. Some said they could not listen because they did not want to be reminded of the harsh past.
There were many mixed reactions, with some people gaining closure while others only became more angered, saying the apology cannot erase 150 years of severe injustice. On Native woman noted, “There is no word for forgiveness in our language. Just because you acknowledge somebody hurt you, and you say, ‘I forgive you,’ that doesn’t mean the pain left; the pain is still there.”
From 1819 to 1969, the U.S. ran or supported 408 boarding schools. The boarding schools were primarily church-run. The Catholic Church played a major role in the devastating colonization of America. The Catholic Church ran more Indian boarding schools in the United States than any other religious group, and even more than all the religions combined. Students endured physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, with many children prohibited from speaking their native language and all were stripped of their culture. More than 973 Native children succumbed to disease and died as a result of cruel treatment. Biden acknowledged that the number was probably much higher, likely because of undocumented deaths or undiscovered bodies.
Many white Americans still believed that “Indians” were savages and should learn some good manual trades that benefited the white majority. White Americans banded under the idea of “kill the Indian, save the man.” The boarding schools were never about benefiting Indians, only supporting the white man. They were victims of segregated education, and this apology is long overdue.
