Dear Friend,
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Christian churches collaborated with the government to create hundreds of boarding schools for Native American children. The idea, rooted in white supremacy, was that Native children would be better served if they were stripped of their culture and forced to assimilate into white, Christian society.
The treatment of children at these schools was unspeakable. When Richard Henry Pratt founded the first of them in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he famously stated that the purpose of these schools was to “kill the Indian, and save the man.”
But, like many others, this dark chapter in American history has largely been unacknowledged by the government—until now. On June 22, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced the creation of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. Its primary goal will be to investigate the loss of human life and the lasting consequences of these schools.
Haaland framed the importance of this initiative by saying, “I know that this process will be painful. It won’t undo the heartbreak and loss we feel. But only by acknowledging the past can we work toward a future that we’re all proud to embrace.”
This reckoning must extend to the Quaker community, too. As chronicled in Friends Journal, Quakers managed at least 30 of these schools, and conditions were brutal. As Lakota physician Charles Eastman said, recalling his experience at a Quaker school: “We youthful warriors were held up and harassed … until not a semblance of our native dignity and self-respect was left.”
This trauma did not fade away when the schools were closed. It is an wound that endures in tribal communities today.
We must acknowledge our complicity in the historic trauma of the boarding school era, and work in solidarity to advance congressional efforts to establish a truth, reconciliation, and healing process for the families and tribal nations affected by this dark chapter of our history.
Elsewhere
Bipartisan Deal on Infrastructure
President Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of senators have come to an agreement on an infrastructure package focused on improvements to roads, railways, broadband internet, and more. Passage of the legislation will be tied to a second recovery package that would make vital investments in children and families.
Easing COVID-19 Assistance to Countries Under Sanctions
The Biden administration issued general licenses for Iran, Venezuela, and Syria aimed at easing the delivery of products and vaccines to address the COVID-19 pandemic. This important step will help slow the spread of the coronavirus globally and reduce the suffering of millions of people in those countries.
Voting Rights Face Senate Challenge
Advancement of the For the People Act (S.1) was blocked by Senate Republicans on a procedural vote, despite unanimous support by Democrats on Tuesday. This is the opening salvo in what is expected to be summer-long push to protect voting rights.
Push to Ban Landmines
A bipartisan group of 21 members of Congress, led by Sen. Patrick Leahy (VT) and Rep. Jim McGovern (MA-02), are calling on President Biden to reinstate Obama-era restrictions on landmine use and put the United States on a path to join the UN Mine Ban Treaty. These are essential steps toward a mine-free world.
Agreement on Police Reform
Lawmakers have reached a tentative, bipartisan agreement on police reform. Details are not yet public and we continue to advocate for legislation that would ban chokeholds and no knock warrants, limit the transfer of military grade equipment to state and local law enforcement, raise the use of force standard, and reform qualified immunity.
Recommended Reading
Following House passage of Rep. Barbara Lee’s (CA-13) bill to repeal the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force (H.R. 256), FCNL’s Heather Brandon-Smith and Diana Ohlbaum published a powerful op-ed in CNN, titled: Wars Will Last Forever If Congress Won't Acknowledge They're Over.
 |
Sincerely, Jessie Palatucci Senior Manager |
 |
Alex Frandsen Digital Communications Associate |
Reply to let us know what you think, forward to share the newsletter with a friend, or sign up to get news and updates (almost) every week.
| Support our work |
