Yesterday, a congressional committee advanced legislation to investigate the federal government’s century-long Indian boarding school policy, bringing the bill one step closer to the House of Representatives.
The bill – the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2024 – is legislation to investigate, document and report on the history of Indian boarding schools, Indian boarding school policies, and the long-term effects on Native communities. It was reintroduced earlier this year by Reps. Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) and Tom Cole (R-OK-04), co-chairs of the Congressional Native American Caucus. In February, the bill was referred to three separate committees and one subcommittee to consider provisions that may fall within their respective jurisdictions.
Yesterday, the House Committee on Education & the Workforce was the first to advance the bill out of committee, when they passed it through markup without substantive changes.
Shawnee Tribal Chief Ben Barnes, who traveled to Washington DC in 2022 to testify in favor of the bill, said Indigenous news online that he is hopeful that the bill will see the light of day in the House of Representatives.
“There is still some work to be done to ensure it will be voted on in the House of Representatives, but this is further than we have achieved to date.”
If passed, a 10-member commission of former Indian boarding school students and truth and healing experts, appointed by the president, would make recommendations “on actions the federal government can take to adequately hold itself accountable for and remedy the problems and to heal.” historical and intergenerational trauma caused by India’s boarding school policy,” the bill said. Recommendations include: protecting unmarked graves, supporting repatriation and ending India’s modern child removal policy.
The commission would also have the authority to request documents from private entities, including churches, that operate schools or institutions designed to assimilate indigenous youth, as well as government documents needed to identify children who attended boarding schools, their tribal affiliations and unmarked graves to locate and identify. . The subpoena power would give the commission a powerful tool that is not available as part of the Home Office’s ongoing investigation into boarding schools.
“I would not be here without the resilience of my ancestors and those who came before me – including my grandparents, who are survivors of federal Indian boarding schools,” Congressman Davids said in a statement. “I am happy that my colleagues have come together. today to promote the creation of a Truth and Healing Commission, which will bring survivors, federal partners and tribal leaders to the table to fully investigate what happened to our family members and work toward a better path for the next seven generations.”
About the Author: “Jenna Kunze is a reporter covering Indian health, environment and breaking news for Native News Online. She is also the lead reporter on stories about Indian boarding schools and repatriation. Her bylines have appeared in The Arctic Sounder, High Country News, Indian Country Today, Tribal Business News, Smithsonian Magazine, Elle and Anchorage Daily News are based in New York.
Contact: jkunze@indiancountrymedia.com
