US Investigation Reveals Deaths of Nearly 1,000 Native American Children in Boarding Schools

 

A recent investigation into the US government's historical boarding school system has uncovered the deaths of at least 973 Native American children. The probe, initiated by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, found marked and unmarked graves at 65 out of more than 400 schools established to assimilate Native American children into white society. The report, released Tuesday, highlights deaths from sickness and abuse over a 150-year period ending in 1969.

The investigation follows extensive listening sessions where former students shared harrowing accounts of mistreatment, including forced language suppression, physical abuse, and harsh living conditions. Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe and the first Native American cabinet secretary, condemned the boarding school policies as deliberate efforts to eradicate Native cultures and identities.

Initial reports in 2022 had estimated over 500 deaths, but the new findings provide a more comprehensive account. The boarding schools, some of which operated into the 1960s, were part of a broader federal initiative supported by laws dating back to 1819. These institutions imposed English names on students, subjected them to military drills, and forced them into manual labor.

Former students like Donovan Archambault, 85, have shared their personal trauma from these experiences, emphasizing the need for both an apology and broader public education on the history of these institutions. "An apology is needed. They should apologize," Archambault told the Associated Press.

Haaland expressed deep personal sorrow but indicated that a formal apology should come from the federal government. The Interior Department’s report also recommends significant investments in programs to aid Native American communities in healing from the boarding school era's trauma, including funding for education, violence prevention, and language revitalization.

The report details that the federal government spent $23.3 billion, adjusted for inflation, on these schools and their affiliated programs. Although many institutions were funded by religious and private organizations, they received federal support to enforce assimilation policies.

Calls for accountability include pending legislation in Congress to establish a Truth and Healing Commission to address past injustices. This measure, championed by Senator Elizabeth Warren and supported by Senator Lisa Murkowski, seeks to document and acknowledge the harms inflicted by the boarding school system.