US President Biden offers formal apology on behalf of federal government for treatment of Indigenous peoples

PHEONIX, Arizona, USA — In the United States, Indigenous communities continue to call for justice and recognition of the historical violence they endured under successive American administrations, with many now demanding acknowledgment of the lasting impacts these persecutions have on their descendants.

Community representatives highlighted the forced attendance of Indigenous children in government-run boarding schools as an attempt to erase their history, culture, and language. These institutions subjected Indigenous children to abuse, and many suffered severe harm in the process. According to reports, from 1819 to 1969, the US government established 400 such schools, forcibly removing around 18,000 children from their families. Tragically, over 1,000 children died in these schools, with many buried in unmarked graves.

In a recent visit to an Indigenous community camp in Arizona, President Joe Biden issued an official apology on behalf of the federal government. Acknowledging the pain caused by the erosion of Indigenous languages, heritage, and traditions, Biden expressed regret for the abuses committed in the past.

One attendee, Bill Hall, who had been forced into a boarding school at age nine and suffered physical violence, shared his initial reluctance to accept the apology but ultimately chose to embrace it. He expressed hope that the US government will sustain its efforts to protect and uplift the lives of Indigenous Americans.