Leading Native American experts will unpack the first-ever U.S. federal investigation into the history of American Indian Boarding Schools where, from 1869 to the 1960s, the U.S. government colluded with churches to forcibly send thousands of Native American children to schools where they experienced tortuous cultural cleansing and mass genocide. And while the total number of children is still unknown - it’s estimated that by 1926, nearly 83% of Native American school-aged children were in boarding schools. (Wallace Adams, Education for Extinction, 27).

This panel will discuss the results of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report, and ways that this traumatic history continues to impact generations of Indigenous peoples. They will dive into how Native American communities are reclaiming what was lost and working to heal from generational trauma. Now is the time for our nation to acknowledge the truth about the Indian boarding schools and the impacts that have followed. By shedding light on our shared history, together, we can embark on a journey of truth and healing for our nation and ourselves.