It was an extraordinary experience to gather with others at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona to hear President Biden’s official apology for the government’s role in running Indian boarding schools.
From 1869 to 1971, the United States operated and supported more than 400 boarding schools in states across the U.S., including in the region Bush serves. The boarding school policy was one part of a larger strategy of the U.S. government to strip Native American people of resources and traditional cultures.
Published November 2024