No Apology Without Action Toolkit
Biden’s Apology for U.S. Government’s Role in Native Boarding Schools
WE DEMAND ACTION, NOT JUST AN APOLOGY!
#NoApologyWithoutAction
IN HONOR & MEMORY OF OUR RELATIVES
We created this toolkit and continue our advocacy in honor of boarding school survivors, and in memory of the nearly 1,000 children who we know died at the schools as well as the thousands more unaccounted for that we will never forget.
We send continued prayers for our relatives who survived boarding schools and who continue to carry the scars – seen and unseen – of the harm they experienced at the hands of this brutal system. We also remember the beautiful lives of those children who never got to return home, who were taken from their families too soon.
We will hold the U.S. Government and all those responsible for this harm accountable. We remain committed to ending the legacy and ongoing violence of settler colonialism everywhere, for the liberation and healing of all Peoples and Mother Earth.
With deep care,
Remembering the Children and NDN Collective
OVERVIEW
On Friday, October 25, in response to President Biden’s historic apology to Indigenous Peoples for the boarding school system–developed and operated by the federal government for nearly 200 years and designed to strip Indigenous children and future generations of their families, cultures, identities, and languages – NDN Collective released the following statement:
“While Biden’s apology is significant because it marks the first time the federal government has formally acknowledged their role in the generations of harm caused by the abusive and deadly, mandatory residential schools, the president’s words ring hollow without action.
“The pain caused by residential schools is immeasurable – all Indigenous Peoples of the U.S. and Canada are survivors of that brutal system, as it was used to collectively strip us of our languages, cultures, strong family structures, and community wellbeing. We all continue to navigate the residual impacts of such an aggressive assault on our Nations and lifeways.
“Apologies must include meaningful action to repair the harm done – otherwise, they are just manipulative tools giving the semblance of care to distract from continued wrongdoing. Biden should take action before the end of his Presidency, according to Indigenous Organizations – NDN Collective and Remembering the Children.
5 DEMANDS BIDEN SHOULD TAKE BEFORE THE END OF HIS PRESIDENCY
Demand 1
Pass the U.S. Truth & Healing Commission Bill to ensure continued funding and support for the relatives who survived boarding schools
About
The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act will establish a formal commission to investigate, document, and report on the histories of Indian Boarding Schools, Indian Boarding School Policies, and the systematic and long-term effects of those schools and policies on Native American peoples; This includes the federal government’s attempted termination of cultures, religions, and languages of Indigenous Peoples, forced assimilation practices, and human rights violations that occurred as a result of Indian Boarding School Policies. The commission is intended to develop recommendations for the federal government to acknowledge and heal the ongoing historical and intergenerational trauma passed down in Native families and communities and provide a forum for survivors to speak about these human rights violations.
Outcome
What happens when you and the U.S. Government support the passing of the U.S. Truth & Healing Commission Bill?
Indigenous Peoples and families can begin to heal, regain our rights, and acknowledge what happened to our relatives at these schools. We deserve to restore our relationships, revitalize our cultures and languages, and tell our stories with funds and support provided to our relatives who survived the egregious treatment of these boarding schools.
Resources
https://boardingschoolhealing.org/
Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the U.S. Act One Pager
S.1723 - Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2023
Demand 2
Grant immediate Executive Clemency for boarding school survivor Leonard Peltier, free him from his 50 year incarceration
About
Leonard Peltier is an 80-year-old Indigenous activist from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota. He is currently battling chronic health issues, while being subjected to unjust conditions at Coleman Federal Penitentiary serving two life sentences for his alleged involvement in the deaths of two FBI agents during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975. Since his arrest and nearly 50 years of incarceration, Peltier has become a symbol of the fight against systemic racism and the persecution by the federal government of community movements advancing justice and equity. Human rights organizations have long held that Peltier's incarceration is unjust and unconstitutional due to several civil rights violations during his trial. Peltier is the longest living incarcerated Indigenous political prisoner in American history and he is a survivor of Indian boarding schools.
In a verified statement published by Native News Online Leonard Peltier describes the day that he was taken from his grandma by government officials that threatened to jail her if she resisted, “Maybe that day was my introduction to this destiny I did not choose. Little did I know that those school years would condition me well. I was treated very badly by the people in that school, but it made me stronger. I found out in boarding school I had no rights. So I guess I am not surprised that at 77 [now 80] and still locked up , it is the same for me now.”
Outcome
What happens when you and the U.S. government support #FreeLeonardPeltier?
We rise up in solidarity against an unjust system built to facilitate the genocide and forced assimilation of Indigenous Peoples and the exploitation of black and brown bodies. Too many of our Indigenous and Black relatives are incarcerated due to systemic racism and ongoing criminalization of movement leaders. We must actively dismantle systems that continue to protect and uphold colonial standards, principles, and white supremacy. When you support #FreeLeonardPeltier, you are joining the movement to free the U.S.’s longest held Indigenous political prisoner, a necessary and critical step in addressing historic wrongs and working toward a more just and equitable world for all people.
Resources
https://freeleonard-peltier.com/
EXCLUSIVE: Leonard Peltier Shares His Indian Boarding School Story
Demand 3
Immediately invest in and resource Indigenous language and cultural revitalization programs
About
Over 60,000 Indigenous children from across Turtle Island were forcibly stolen from their homelands and put into the federal Indian Boarding School system. The sole purpose of the Indian Boarding Schools was to disrupt and eradicate Indigenous cultures, languages, and communities through the forced assimilation of Indigenous children – the children were beaten, starved, abused, and even killed. The impacts of this cultural genocide still affect our Indigenous communities to this day.
Outcome
What will happen when you and the U.S. government support immediate investment in Indigenous language and cultural revitalization programs?
You directly help right the wrongs of the boarding school system. With this resourcing of programs, Indigenous Peoples can begin to restore and revitalize our languages through culturally appropriate education developed on our terms. This has been proven to be an effective and meaningful approach to strengthen our culture, restore our languages, and bring healing to our communities for the benefit of future generations. By investing in Indigenous-led education systems, like NACA Inspired Schools Network, Oceti Sakowin Community Academy, and Keres Children’s Learning Center, we support the self-determination and healing of Indigenous Peoples.
Resources
https://boardingschoolhealing.org/
https://www.nacainspiredschoolsnetwork.org/
Demand 4
Rescinding all medals of honor awarded to US soldiers for the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee
About
During the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890, 300 unarmed Lakota people – mostly women and children – were slaughtered following their surrender to the U.S. Calvary.
For decades, this massacre was called a battle, despite the fact that the people who were killed relinquished their weapons. U.S. soldiers were awarded medals of honor for their “bravery and valor”. Those medals of honor must be rescinded, there is no honor in enacting a genocidal agenda that has lasting impacts to this day.
Outcome
What happens when you and the U.S. government support the rescinding of the medals of honor given to the soldiers who were responsible for the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre?
You support a long-overdue action to right a historic wrong for one of the most infamous massacres carried out against the Lakota people by the U.S. military. In 1990, Congress apologized for their role in this massacre, but never followed up with meaningful action. The site for the massacre at Wounded Knee has become a symbol, representing both the legacy of injustices and the ongoing violence Lakota people face at the hands of the U.S. government. As a result, the site of this massacre became a place of resistance during the Occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973 by the American Indian Movement which aimed to bring attention to the ongoing violations of Treaty Rights.
Resources
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/27/1159630250/wounded-knee-occupation-50th-anniversary
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1073
Demand 5
Instruct the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to conduct a full-scale investigation into the Tuba City Boarding School’s failure to address egregious misconduct and support nationwide reforms being demanded by parents and students to protect children at BIE run schools
About
The courageous students and parents at Tuba City Boarding School have worked tirelessly to bring attention to ongoing abuse experienced by students and are pushing for nationwide reforms to ensure that systemic shortcomings and gaps in policies are addressed so that every child in every BIE school is protected and safe as they pursue their education.
Outcome
What happens when you and the U.S. government support parents and students of Tuba City Boarding School on the Navajo Nation, and their calls for reform of all Bureau of Indian Education schools?
You help address not only the egregious history of violence carried out by Federal Indian Boarding Schools, but also the ongoing legacy of violence that continues to exist, demonstrating that our children are still not safe from abuse in these institutions. Since the 1970s, boarding school reforms and new policies have been enacted to end the most terrible forms of violence in these institutions such as forced labor and physical punishment, but much more work needs to be done to protect our students from sexual violence and harassment. Supporting the call for a full scale investigation into Tuba City Boarding School enables the national identification of policy gaps and systemic barriers that need to be reformed in order to ensure Indigenous children are safe in BIE schools.
Resources
https://www.instagram.com/therednationmovement/reel/DAo-z9MSsHx/
5 WAYS TO TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT THESE DEMANDS
1. Sign & Share our Sign-on Letter in Action Network
2. Read & Share the Statement from NDN Collective
3. Watch & Share our LIVES on YouTube
4. Share, Download, Post, & Distribute our Graphics
5.Share this Toolkit
TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT AND DEFEND OUR RELATIVES TODAY!
#NoApologyWithoutAction
RESOURCES
https://www.rememberingthechildren.org/
https://boardingschoolhealing.org/
Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the U.S. Act One Pager
S.1723 - Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2023
https://freeleonard-peltier.com/
EXCLUSIVE: Leonard Peltier Shares His Indian Boarding School Story
https://boardingschoolhealing.org/
https://www.nacainspiredschoolsnetwork.org/
https://ocetisakowinacademy.org/
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/27/1159630250/wounded-knee-occupation-50th-anniversary
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1073
https://www.instagram.com/therednationmovement/reel/DAo-z9MSsHx/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hn6ImVVrKk
“NDN Collective in Gila River Indian Community in Regards to Biden’s Apology”
“NDN Collective Press Conference in Response to Biden’s Apology”