Children from indigenous peoples were forced into boarding schools where many lives were destroyed, according to a previous investigation initiated by the US government. Now, Biden wants to show federal remorse for the treatment.
I'm doing something I should have done a long time ago: formally issuing an apology to (native nations) for the way we've treated their children for so many years, said Biden when he left the White House to travel to the state of Arizona.
For the first time
On Friday, Biden is visiting an indigenous reservation in the state. In connection with the visit, he will formally apologize on behalf of the federal government for how indigenous peoples have been treated, something no previous president has done.
Biden's issuance of an apology comes barely two weeks before the presidential election – and thus becomes one of his last major commitments before a new president is elected.
I could never have imagined ... that something like this would happen, said Deb Haaland, who is the Interior Minister and also belongs to the Pueblo of Laguna (Kawaika) tribe, about Biden's announcement.
Forced relocations
She initiated the investigation that revealed extensive physical and psychological abuse against students during the period 1819–1969 when the US federal government ran over 400 boarding schools.
The investigation shows, among other things, that over 18,000 children were forcibly taken from their parents to boarding schools. Around 1,000 deaths have been confirmed in connection with the forced relocations, and about 70 unmarked graves have been discovered.
