Biden delivers "long overdue" apology in Arizona for federal Native American boarding school atrocities.

[Cicada 5]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/indian-boarding-schools-biden-apology-arizona/

President Biden on Friday issued a formal presidential apology to Native American communities for the atrocities committed against Indigenous children and their families during a 150-year era of forced federal Indian boarding schools. The president chose to speak at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, although he apologized to all tribal nations for their generations of suffering.

"After 150 years, the United States government eventually stopped the program," the president said. "But the federal government has never, never formally apologized for what happened — until today. I formally apologize, as president of the United States of America, for what we did. I formally apologize. That's long overdue."

From 1819 through the 1970s, the federal government and religious institutions established boarding schools throughout the country to assimilate Alaska Native, American Indian and Native Hawaiian children into White American culture by forcibly removing them from their families, communities and belief systems. The president called the practice "one of the most horrific chapters in American history" and a "sin on our soul," holding a moment of silence for the lives lost.

"Generations of Native children stolen, taken away to places they didn't know, with people they'd never met, who spoke a language they had never heard," Mr. Biden said. "Native communities silenced. Their children's laughter and play were gone. Children who would arrive at schools, their clothes taken off, their hair that they were told was sacred, chopped off. Their names literally erased, replaced by a number or an English name."

Many children who attended these boarding schools endured emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and hundreds of them died. And for those who did return home, they were wounded in body and spirit, Mr. Biden said. Even after the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, the atrocities continued.

 

[Seanchaidh]

not an apology for stealing the land
just some of the excesses that occurred while doing so

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

The show 1923 highlights this, rather graphically at times. It’s an eye opener and wouldn’t be surprised if it contributed to getting more public exposure to the issue.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I wonder if Biden will live long enough to apologize for aiding the Palestinian genocide.

 

[tippy2k2]

I wonder if Biden will live long enough to apologize for aiding the Palestinian genocide.

Many children who had their culture ripped away from them. Children who were killed and the survivors dealing with emotional, sexual, and physical abuse at the hands of a foreign entity. The survivors always having the scars of what happened to them.

Wow...powerful lessons Mr President. Good thing we've learned from the past and would never allow an atrocity like this ever happen again!

 

[Thaluikhain]

I wonder if Biden will live long enough to apologize for aiding the Palestinian genocide.

Nope. He's talking about something that nominally stopped 50 or so years ago, which is about normal, 2 generations. The first President to end up apologising for things now hasn't graduated from university yet, assuming that they've graduated from primary school. Apologies don't usually come until those responsible are generally dead of old age, otherwise it might mean something.

(Mind, Lil Devils X was talking about that stuff happening to her, and I think that was noticeable later than the 70s)