Just last month, bipartisan legislation designed to establish this vital commission advanced significantly in the U.S. Congress, demonstrating growing recognition across the political spectrum of the urgent need to address this painful chapter of American history. Representatives Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) introduced a corresponding bill in the House of Representatives, following the successful passage of an identical measure through the Senate. The proposed Truth and Healing Commission would comprise five distinguished individuals, selected by Congress based on recommendations from federally recognized tribes and leading Indigenous-led organizations, ensuring that the body is deeply rooted in the communities it seeks to serve. Beyond offering a safe and dignified platform for survivors to share their deeply personal and often traumatic stories, the commission would be tasked with a comprehensive investigation into the federal government’s pivotal role in the operation and funding of these boarding schools. Its mandate extends to meticulously documenting the devastating, multi-generational impacts these institutions inflicted upon Indigenous peoples, culminating in a comprehensive report that will include concrete recommendations for a path toward healing, justice, and accountability.

The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) has been a tireless champion of this critical legislation, meticulously guiding it through several iterations since its initial introduction in 2021. The establishment of a federal commission would represent a monumental expansion of NABS’s dedicated work over the past decade, which has included the crucial task of collecting and preserving the oral histories of boarding school survivors. This effort also builds upon groundbreaking investigations initiated by the Department of the Interior under the Biden administration, which began to uncover the vast scale of this assimilationist project. These preliminary federal inquiries revealed that the U.S. government directly operated or supported a staggering 417 institutions across 37 states, systematically separating Indigenous children from their families, cultures, and languages. Within these schools, children were subjected to widespread assimilation policies, often enduring severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, with many tragically succumbing to disease or neglect and never returning home. Estimates suggest that the federal government funneled over $23 billion in today’s dollars to sustain this expansive system for nearly a century, underscoring the profound and deliberate nature of its commitment to cultural erasure.

Samuel Torres (Mexica/Nahua), Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NABS, underscored the profound significance of the proposed legislation, emphasizing its bipartisan nature and the widespread support it has garnered across Indian Country and beyond. He highlighted that the bill offers "a new opportunity… to demonstrate the true bipartisan nature of this work that is so needed in the United States at this moment." Torres anticipates minimal opposition, citing overwhelming backing from tribal leaders, as evidenced by unanimous resolutions passed by the National Congress of American Indians over recent years. Moreover, various faith communities, acknowledging their historical complicity in the boarding school system, have also voiced strong support, recognizing the moral imperative for truth and healing.

"It’s more than time that a commission like this be formed and implemented," Torres asserted, stressing the urgent need to act while survivors, many now elders, are still alive to share their experiences. "Our elders are not getting any younger, and we need to pass this now for them, for their ancestors and for their descendants." He elaborated that the multi-year commission would ultimately produce a series of comprehensive recommendations aimed at supporting the healing of Indian Country and establishing accountability for individuals and institutions implicated in wrongdoing. Critically, this would mark the first time the U.S. federal government engages directly and personally with boarding school survivors, allowing their firsthand testimonies to fundamentally shape the nation’s next steps toward reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples of these lands.

Torres anticipates that the commission’s work will generate a robust body of research and personal narratives, significantly enhancing collective understanding and social awareness among the broader U.S. population. This educational component, he believes, will extend the vital work NABS has championed for over a decade, inspiring more people, both Native and non-Native, to become advocates for change. "When we widen that circle, folks want to lean in, they want to step in, and they want to be advocates: How can we help support Indian Country in this way? What can we do to change our society, to change how our schools, our churches, our places of gathering, so that we can be more aware and cognizant and honoring of the impacts of this history?" Torres posited, emphasizing that genuine healing begins with the direct collection and amplification of survivors’ voices.

This commission’s scope would undoubtedly surpass the critical, yet limited, archival research undertaken by the Interior Department in its "Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, Volumes One and Two." While those reports provided an essential foundational survey of the historical record, Torres clarified that they merely "scratched the surface of what needs to be done." The commission, by contrast, would delve deeper, incorporating direct survivor testimonies, which are indispensable for developing meaningful policy recommendations and addressing the profound intergenerational trauma inflicted by these institutions.

The path toward federal recognition and support for this truth-telling initiative has not been linear. Torres recounted the significant challenges faced by NABS, including the rescinding of a $250,000 grant by a previous administration, which cited a shift in federal priorities. This abrupt withdrawal of support for documenting crucial oral histories underscored the fluctuating political will to confront uncomfortable historical truths. Historically, the federal government’s desire to investigate or even acknowledge the boarding school system has been "entirely minuscule," Torres observed, pointing to decades of "paltry intent" to answer fundamental questions. Despite persistent Freedom of Information Act requests from NABS and others seeking data on the number of schools, the children who attended, and those who went missing or died, comprehensive answers remain elusive. Even the Biden administration’s Interior reports, while significant, offer only a partial picture, leaving many questions unanswered about the full extent of the system’s human cost.

Torres passionately argued that the responsibility to uncover these truths transcends partisan divides. "Considering that this is a history that impacts all Americans — Native, non-Native — it is incumbent on all of us to demand that these questions still need to be answered," he asserted. "American taxpayers deserve to know how tax funding was utilized to wage violence against Native people over generations." He further criticized broader attempts by some to suppress historical narratives, such as the removal of signage in national parks detailing the histories of enslaved people and Native populations. Such actions, Torres contended, are "entirely shameful" and do not erase the historical realities. "Removing signs doesn’t change any of that history. Changing narratives because of political power does not change the impact of wielding that violence."

When societies embrace honest historical inquiry, Torres explained, they gain the capacity to stand in solidarity, bear witness to past injustices, and commit to preventing future atrocities. Conversely, he warned, "When we move away from truth-telling, we move away from kinship. When we move away from telling the truth about these injustices, we allow an opening for campaigns of injustice to happen again." This underscores the universal imperative for "honest and courageous truth-telling" as a prerequisite for generational healing.

The echoes of historical injustices are disturbingly evident in contemporary issues, particularly in immigration enforcement, where the forced separation of families mirrors the tragic legacy of U.S. policies toward Native Americans. Torres highlighted the parallels between the historical instrumentalization of boarding schools to separate Native families and current events, such as the increased presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in cities like Minneapolis, where NABS is headquartered. The coalition has actively supported grassroots efforts in Minneapolis and St. Paul, providing aid to Native relatives who have experienced confrontations with federal agents and advocating for accountability and healing. "Our work is, for all intents and purposes, very much linked to this legacy of a forced separation, removal and violence towards Native people of the Americas," Torres explained. "This is as relevant as it gets, really. I mean, this is history kind of coming full circle again, and it always has different elements of change and evolution and transition, but we’re seeing it play out in real time." The proposed Truth and Healing Commission thus represents not only a reckoning with the past but also a vital tool for understanding and addressing ongoing systemic injustices that continue to impact communities across the nation.