[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 161 (Monday, October 2, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E924-E925]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HIGHLIGHTING THE HISTORY OF INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL POLICIES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SHARICE DAVIDS

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 2, 2023

  Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud member of 
the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin. I believe a big part of my role as a 
Native woman in Congress is to simply educate my colleagues about our 
federal governments' relationship and responsibilities to tribes.
  That includes the hard histories between the federal government and 
our Tribal communities--things that can be difficult to face. It would 
be difficult to find a Native person that has not had the Indian 
boarding school era impact their families or community.
  It is estimated that by 1926, nearly 83 percent of Native children 
were enrolled in one of at least 367 currently known Indian boarding 
schools across 30 states. Thousands of our children were torn or 
coerced from families and communities by the federal government or 
religious entities to be ``assimilated'' into American society.
  Students at Indian boarding schools were forced to change their 
entire sense of being with new names, hair, language, and culture.

[[Page E925]]

During these assimilation practices, many were not able to see their 
family or speak their language, and even experienced verbal and sexual 
abuse.
  There are so many stories of children that never returned home. 
Future artists, doctors, language keepers, storytellers, and leaders 
skipped generations. We still feel those impacts today.
  The federal government and our country must do better to acknowledge 
its legacy and understand the full truth of these policies.
  This Congress, I'm working with Congressional Native American Caucus 
Co-chair Tom Cole on the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian 
Boarding School Policies in the United States Act. This legislation 
seeks healing for stolen Native children and their communities.
  Originally introduced by now-Secretary Deb Haaland, this bill would 
establish a formal commission to investigate, document, and acknowledge 
past injustices of the federal government's Indian Boarding School 
Policies. This commission is a critical step to allow Native families 
and communities to begin to heal.
  Representative Cole and I are in the process and narrowing down the 
legislative text and hope to introduce the bill again soon. It received 
bipartisan support in the past, which shows that our relatives are 
being seen. And both the House and the Senate held hearings on the bill 
last Congress, which shows our colleagues are ready to listen.
  The importance of fully understanding the impacts of Indian boarding 
school policies in the United States transcends political lines. And I 
know that sharing these experiences and learning the truth is a brave 
and sometimes hard thing to do.
  We hope that in this difficult process, Tribal communities will also 
support each other physically, mentally, and spiritually. I will 
continue to amplify the voices of Indian Country in the halls of 
Congress and encourage my colleagues to join me in that mission.

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