President Biden, on Monday, established a national monument at the location of a former Native American boarding school in Pennsylvania, marking a solemn moment in history for Indigenous tribes whose children were forcibly assimilated.
The White House unveiled the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument amidst a summit of tribal leaders. The notorious Carlisle Indian Industrial School saw over 10,000 Native American children pass through its doors until its closure in 1918. Under policies designed for forced assimilation, these children were expected to abandon their rich traditions and adopt white societal norms. Notably, among its students was Olympian Jim Thorpe.
Many children were taken from their families without consent. The facility witnessed the deaths of an estimated 187 Native American and Alaska Native children due to disease and other causes. According to President Biden’s proclamation, designating this site as a national monument ensures this “shameful chapter of American history is never forgotten or repeated.”
Efforts to return the remains of these children to their native lands continue. Recently in September, the remains of three children were transferred back to the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana. Based on an Interior Department investigation, at least 973 Native American children died at these government-funded boarding schools over a span of more than 150 years.
Survivors have shared harrowing testimonies during public listening sessions overseen by the Interior Department. They recounted being punished for speaking their native languages, as well as experiencing physical abuse and having their hair forcibly cut. The Indian Child Welfare Act, enacted in 1978, officially terminated these assimilation policies, but only the current administration has undertaken a complete probe into the boarding school system.
In a public apology this past October, President Biden acknowledged the immense suffering these schools and their backing policies inflicted on Indigenous communities. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland emphasized that while no singular action can rectify the past, the administration’s commitment to awareness and education is making an impact. She asserted that the new monument stands as a testament to understanding the prolonged ramifications of these damaging policies.
The school and similar entities received about $23.3 billion in inflation-adjusted government funding. Both religious and private institutions were integral to the assimilation effort, receiving federal money for their involvement. This monument becomes the seventh of its kind under President Biden’s administration, spanning a 25-acre site managed by the National Park Service and the U.S. Army.
The establishment of the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument serves as a crucial reminder of a painful history. By acknowledging this past, the initiative aims to educate future generations about the systemic efforts to erase Native American culture, ensuring such history is not repeated.
Source: Apnews
