President Joe Biden designated the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument in Pennsylvania on Monday. This action underscores the oppression Indigenous people faced at Carlisle and throughout the broader Native American boarding school system, as well as the lasting impacts of the abuse suffered there. The proclamation coincided with Biden’s fourth and final White House Tribal Nations Summit, where he announced several initiatives to support tribal communities.
The Biden administration continues to acknowledge and apologize for the federal government’s role in the devastating Native American boarding school system. Children in these institutions endured physical, emotional, and sexual abuse throughout the 19th and mid-20th centuries. An investigative report from the Department of the Interior revealed that at least 973 Native children died while attending these schools.
“Making the Carlisle Indian School a national monument, we make clear what great nations do: We don’t erase history — we acknowledge it, we learn from it and we remember so we never repeat it again,” Biden stated at the summit. “We remember so we can heal. That’s the purpose of memory.”
Carlisle, the first off-reservation federal boarding school for Native children, enrolled thousands of children from over 140 tribes who were forcibly separated from their families. According to a White House fact sheet, school officials “forced children to cut their hair, prohibited them from speaking their Native languages, and subjected them to harsh labor.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking earlier at the summit, highlighted the federal government’s long history of underinvestment in Native communities, impacting entrepreneurs, small businesses, hospitals, schools, and infrastructure. She emphasized the administration’s commitment to addressing these historical inequities and creating opportunities for all Native communities, citing investments exceeding $1 billion in Native community banks and initiatives to help Native entrepreneurs access capital.
The administration also announced several additional actions to support tribal communities. These include a decade-long revitalization plan to address the government’s role in the loss of Native languages across the country. Biden described this plan as a collaborative effort with tribes to support teachers, schools, and organizations in preserving Native languages. He stressed the importance of this initiative, emphasizing its connection to national heritage and identity.
Last updated 4:38 p.m., Dec. 9, 2024
By Shauneen Miranda, Minnesota Reformer, December 9, 2024
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