🇺🇸 U.S. President Joe Biden delivered a landmark apology on Friday for America's role in operating boarding schools that forcibly separated Indigenous children from their families for over a century. The system, active from the 1800s to the 1960s, aimed to assimilate Native communities by erasing their languages and cultural practices.
📜 'We must acknowledge the lasting trauma these policies caused,' Biden declared, calling the schools 'a stain on our nation's soul.' Over 400 institutions were run by the federal government and religious groups, with reports of abuse and neglect surfacing in recent investigations.
💔 Survivors and tribal leaders welcomed the gesture but emphasized the need for concrete actions. Biden announced new initiatives to preserve Indigenous languages and improve access to historical records for affected families.
🌱 The apology aligns with growing momentum for truth-telling about colonial histories worldwide. As one advocate tweeted: 'Acknowledgment is step one – now let's build a future rooted in justice.'
