close
close

Joe Biden apologizes for boarding school policy

Joe Biden apologizes for boarding school policy

Author: AAMER MADHANI

LAVINE VILLAGE, Ariz. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday formally apologized to Native Americans for the “sin” of the government’s residential school system, which for decades forcibly separated Native American children from their parents, calling it a “stain on American history” during his first visit to his home country.

“This is a sin on our souls,” Biden said, his voice thick with anger and emotion. “Frankly, there is no excuse for it taking 50 years to issue this apology.”

Biden spoke about the abuse and death of Native children as a result of federal government policies, as he noted that a shameful story remains unknown and needs to be told. The president detailed how his policies aim to support Native Americans with jobs and new infrastructure.

Democrats hope Biden’s visit to the land of the Gila River Indian Community on the outskirts of metro Phoenix in Arizona will also provide a boost Vice President Kamala Harris turnout in key condition on the battlefield.

Biden, whose presidency is ending, promised tribal leaders almost two years ago that he would visit Indian country.

President Joe Biden greets people as he arrives at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden greets people as he arrives at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Phoenix. Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan is pictured in the center. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The president, speaking to reporters Thursday before leaving for Arizona, said an apology for the U.S. government’s role in the abuse and neglect of indigenous children was “something that should have been done a long time ago.” Federal for decades boarding schools according to the White House, were used to assimilate children into white society.

The moment will also give Biden an opportunity to highlight his and Harris’ support for tribal nations, a group that has historically favored Democrats, in a state he won by just 10,000 votes in 2020.

The race between Harris and former President Donald Trump is expected to be just as close, and both campaigns are doing everything they can to boost turnout among foundation supporters.

“Right now, the turnout in the race is on,” said Mike O’Neill, a nonpartisan Arizona pollster. “The trend lines were surprisingly stable. The question is which candidate will be able to win over voters in what appears to be a close race.”

Harris and other Democrats used Biden sparingly on the campaign trail after he ended his campaign in July.

But analysts say Biden could help Harris in her appeal to Native American voters, a group that lags behind others in turnout.

In 2020, there was a sharp increase in voter turnout on some tribal lands in Arizona when Biden defeated Trump to become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the state since Bill Clinton in 1996.

President Joe Biden speaks at Gila Crossing Community School on the Gila River Indian Reservation
President Joe Biden speaks at Gila Crossing Community School on the Gila River Indian Community Reservation in Lavigne, Arizona, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Biden is making the visit in his official capacity, and a formal apology — something the tribes have long sought — seems certain to draw the attention of Native Americans across the country.

At least 973 Native American children died in the US government brutal system of boarding schools over a 150-year period ending in 1969, according to an Interior Department investigation that demanded an apology from the US government.