Biden’s Apology to Native American Communities Signals Accountability for Boarding School Tragedies

On October 25, 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden delivered a solemn and historic apology on behalf of the federal government to the Native American communities whose children were forcibly removed from their families and subjected to abuse in boarding schools. This momentous speech was given at the Gila River Indian Community in Laveen Village, Arizona, acknowledging one of America’s darkest chapters in a campaign to forcibly assimilate Native children and eradicate their indigenous culture. Biden’s apology follows an extensive report that uncovered the brutal realities of boarding schools, which operated from the early 1800s until as recently as the 1970s.

“Today, I’m in Arizona to issue a long overdue presidential apology for this era,” Biden shared on X (formerly Twitter) hours before the official address. “We must remember our full history, even when it’s painful. That’s what great nations do. And we are a great nation.”

The apology, broadcast live from Arizona, represents a rare presidential acknowledgment of past abuses and marks another step in the U.S. government’s growing commitment to acknowledging and addressing the legacies of trauma and systemic oppression faced by Native American communities.

The Boarding School System: A History of Cultural Genocide

The federal government and church-run boarding schools established in the 19th century were part of an agenda to “civilize” Native American children by forcibly assimilating them into white European culture. Over 400 schools in 37 states, operating under the directive “Kill the Indian, Save the Man,” disrupted entire communities by uprooting children from their cultural roots and forcing them to adopt the religion, language, and practices of settler society. Children as young as five were taken from their families and subjected to physical, emotional, and, in many cases, sexual abuse.

A 2020 interview with Emerson Gorman, a Navajo Nation elder, recounts the trauma faced by students in these institutions. He described being removed from his family at five years old and entering a world where he was forced to cut his traditional braids, abandon his language, and adopt Christianity against his will. Gorman’s story echoes the experiences of countless Native children who endured abuse while being stripped of their cultural identities and heritage.

Biden’s apology arrives amid renewed scrutiny of the boarding school system following a government report revealing that nearly a thousand Native children died during their time at these schools. Physical, mental, and sexual abuse was rampant, and the schools’ objectives included what historians now recognize as an act of cultural genocide. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the first Native American cabinet secretary, has been instrumental in shedding light on this era’s atrocities, playing a key role in securing this long-awaited apology.

A Rare Presidential Apology

Official apologies in the United States for systemic abuses and acts of oppression are uncommon, yet each carries profound significance. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation to compensate over 100,000 Japanese Americans incarcerated in internment camps during World War II. The government acknowledged the injustices suffered by Japanese Americans forced into confinement during a time of heightened national fear.

President Bill Clinton, in 1997, offered a formal apology for the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, where hundreds of Black men were left untreated for syphilis without their consent, even after a cure was found. Clinton’s apology acknowledged the government’s deception, disregard, and lack of medical care for participants, who were intentionally misled to endure decades of untreated illness.

In 2016, then-President Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, Japan, where he expressed sorrow for the 1945 atomic bombing’s devastation but stopped short of a formal apology. While Obama’s visit sought reconciliation, Biden’s approach with the Native American boarding school era is one of direct acknowledgment and responsibility.

The U.S. Congress has also formally apologized for slavery and the subsequent Jim Crow laws that legalized racial discrimination in 2008. Although this apology addressed the oppression of African Americans, it lacked provisions for direct compensation, which remains a contentious issue in the national conversation on reparations.

Reparations and Restitution: A Growing National Discourse

Biden’s apology aligns with a national trend of reckoning with past injustices and reflects growing momentum toward accountability. However, apologies alone are not always sufficient for healing or justice. For some communities, such as the African American descendants of slaves or Native American tribes affected by broken treaties and land dispossession, reparation and restitution are vital.

Native American communities have long advocated for material reparations that address historical wrongs. These could include economic support, healthcare resources, or even land repatriation. Under Biden’s administration, Native American communities have seen increased investment, with initiatives to expand Tribal sovereignty and designate monuments for sacred ancestral sites. Still, many advocates argue that the scale of restitution should match the depth of historical trauma and systemic violence experienced.

The Role of Indigenous Leaders in Seeking Justice and Reform

Leaders from Native American communities, like Deb Haaland, have tirelessly pursued justice and reform. Haaland’s appointment as the first Native American cabinet member, serving as Secretary of the Interior, is historic in itself. She has initiated programs that increase awareness of boarding school legacies, led the formation of a “Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative” to investigate abuses, and encouraged commemorative efforts to honor the victims.

Alongside other advocates, Haaland underscores the importance of education and historical awareness as essential to reconciliation and national healing. Her commitment to increasing Indigenous voices within federal government structures has laid a foundation for policy shifts that respect Native American autonomy and cultural heritage.

A Call to Confront Historical Truth

President Biden’s apology is a step forward, but it also reflects a wider acknowledgment that America’s historical narrative is incomplete without the stories of those harmed by assimilation policies. The forced assimilation of Native children was, according to many historians, an act of cultural genocide—a targeted effort to dismantle Native societies and eliminate their cultural practices. Acknowledging these injustices highlights a necessary confrontation with painful truths, especially as these abuses impact generations.

While Biden emphasized, “We must remember our full history, even when it’s painful,” this historic address signals a renewed commitment to ensuring that the traumas endured by Native communities are recognized and addressed. It also serves as a stark reminder of the United States’ responsibility to reconcile with its Indigenous communities through direct actions and long-term commitments.

Moving Forward: Education, Reparations, and Reconciliation

As Biden’s administration continues to expand initiatives that protect Indigenous rights and heritage, the Native American community is hopeful for additional measures that promote education, preservation of culture, and healing. Integrating Native American history, including the boarding school legacy, into public education curricula can foster greater understanding and empathy among the broader U.S. population.

Future commitments might encompass increased funding for mental health resources for survivors and their descendants, bolstering Tribal sovereignty, and supporting Native-led cultural preservation initiatives. Structural changes that respect the autonomy and cultural significance of Native American lands and institutions are pivotal to healing and moving forward.

Conclusion: A New Chapter in Acknowledgment and Healing

President Biden’s apology is a milestone for the United States, marking the nation’s accountability for the atrocities committed in boarding schools and reinforcing its commitment to learning from its history. For survivors, descendants, and Native communities, this acknowledgment is a step toward healing but also a call to action. True reconciliation demands that America not only recognize past injustices but actively works to rectify them by respecting Indigenous rights, supporting restorative justice, and promoting public understanding of Native American resilience and history.

As the nation turns this page, the Biden administration’s commitment to meaningful support for Native communities stands as a testament to the possibility of progress even in the face of a painful past.