Advocating for Truth, Healing, and Justice for Survivors of Indian Boarding Schools
Considerations for Evaluating Tribal or Native-Focused Victim Service Programs
Following President Grant’s Peace Policy of 1869, the United States government enforced Indian boarding school policies designed to assimilate Native American children by forcibly removing them from their families, communities, and lifeways. Native American children were sent to institutions that participated in federal Indian boarding school policies. The goal was to “civilize” them and eradicate Native culture, making the policy a deliberate act of ethnocide and genocide. The boarding schools enforced strict regulations that prohibited the use of Native languages and cultural practices, subjecting children to harsh punishments for non-compliance. The policies resulted in a significant loss of cultural identity, language, and traditional knowledge among Native peoples. The traumatic, long-lasting effects of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse experienced in these institutions contribute to the ongoing social and mental health issues within Native communities. The forced separation from families broke cultural traditions and community bonds, causing lasting harm.
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) is a national organization founded in 2012 that advocates for Native peoples affected by U.S. Indian boarding school policies. Through a multifaceted approach that includes education, research, activism, policy, advocacy, and culturally grounded healing programs, NABS seeks to address these policies’ historical and ongoing impacts.
Seeking Truth, Justice, and Healing
NABS is committed to uncovering the truth about U.S. Indian boarding school policies through rigorous education and research. Our mission extends to pursuing justice through active engagement in policy and advocacy and fostering healing via programs and traditional gatherings that honor Native cultures and histories.
The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act
Representatives from NABS, Indian boarding school survivors, and those supporting the bill advocate throughout the year in Washington, D.C., engaging with members of Congress to pass Senate Bill 1723 and House Resolution 7227—The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act. These significant bipartisan bills, co-sponsored and led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Rep. Sharice Davids, and Rep. Tom Cole, marked the first time in U.S. history that the federal government officially acknowledged the horrific tragedies during the U.S. boarding school era.
The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act will:
- Conduct a comprehensive investigation of Indian Boarding School Policies
- A Truth & Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act will conduct a comprehensive interdisciplinary investigation of Indian Boarding School Policies.
- Hold safe, public or private convenings
- A Truth & Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act will hold safe, trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate public or private meetings or convenings to receive testimony relating to the investigation from survivors, descendants of survivors, family members, and other community members.
- Make recommendations to Congress
- A Truth & Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act will provide recommendations to Congress based on the investigation, which will be included in the final report.
- Locate and identify marked and unmarked burial sites
- A Truth & Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act will locate and identify, in a culturally appropriate manner, marked and unmarked burial sites, including cemeteries, unmarked graves, and mass burial sites, where students of Indian Boarding Schools were originally or later interred.
- Make publicly available a final report
- A Truth & Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act will make publicly available a final report containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the Commission that have been agreed upon by the vote of a majority of the members.
A broad bipartisan coalition supports the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act. This diverse base underscores the Act’s significance and the shared commitment to addressing the painful legacy of Indian boarding schools.
We urge you to take action. Reach out to your U.S. House representatives and senators, asking them to vote YES in favor of Senate Bill 1723 and House Resolution 7227. Your voice matters immensely in this pivotal moment. By advocating for this legislation, we collectively champion the rights and recognition of Indian boarding school survivors and their descendants. Let us work together to ensure their healing journey is supported and their stories are honored through legislative action.
Access to Crucial Records
In 2023, NABS launched the National Indian Boarding School Digital Archive (NIBSDA), a national digital platform and repository for boarding school archives across the United States. Access to these records is vital for survivors and descendants to understand the history and its impact on Tribal Nations. By preserving historical insights, NIBSDA supports community-led healing initiatives and helps restore Indigenous cultural sovereignty for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians.
Another key initiative is the Oral History Project (OHP). NABS received a grant from the Department of the Interior (DOI) to conduct video interviews with Indian boarding school survivors across the United States, creating a permanent oral history collection. This unprecedented effort is part of the DOI’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative.
NABS has built trust within the American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities through our experience in collecting survivors’ stories in a healing-informed manner. From our inception, we have demonstrated exceptional care and respect in working with survivors, recognizing the critical importance of sharing lived experiences on their healing journeys. The courage of Indian boarding school survivors inspired many others to come forward, and many continue to express their desire to share their stories, often for the first time.
We look forward to continuing our work with survivors, ensuring they feel empowered and respected throughout the process of sharing their stories. Most importantly, we commit to providing them love and care as they engage with our Oral History Project.
NABS’s tireless efforts are paving the way for truth, justice, and healing for Native communities across the United States. Through continued advocacy and support, the painful history of Indian boarding schools can be acknowledged and addressed, fostering a path toward truth, justice, and healing.
Stay Updated
Visit boardingschoolhealing.org for the latest updates on the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act, NIBSDA, OHP, and other NABS initiatives.
How You Can Support
Thank you to everyone for supporting our work! Your generosity allows us to continue making a meaningful impact in the lives of Indian boarding school survivors and their descendants. Please consider donating if you would like to support our fight for truth, justice, and healing. Every contribution helps us move closer to our goals and make a difference together. Visit https://boardingschoolhealing.org/about-us/donate/.
