(October 25, 2024 – Unceded Algonquin Territory, Ottawa) – Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak today responded to the historic apology issued by US President Joe Biden for the federal Native American Boarding School Program, made during his visit to the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona.
“For over a century, thousands of Native American children were taken from their families and subjected to abuse, neglect, and forced assimilation under the federal boarding school system,” said AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. “While this apology is a step toward recognizing these past wrongs, it is long overdue, and our hearts go out to all those who have waited so long to hear these words.”
“The history of boarding schools in the United States echoes the experiences of First Nations in Canada, where children were taken from their families and placed in residential institutions designed to erase our languages, cultures, and identities. The impacts of these schools have affected generations. This acknowledgment is important, but healing will take time. I urge President Biden, and the incoming president-elect after next month’s election, to engage meaningfully with Native American communities and ensure that this apology leads to real actions that address the harm caused,” concluded AFN National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak.
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The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is a national advocacy organization that works to advance the collective aspirations of First Nations individuals and communities across Canada on matters of national or international nature and concern. Follow AFN on X @AFN_Updates.
Contact information:
Genna Benson
Director of Communications
Assembly of First Nations
[email protected]
(604) 340-3117 (mobile)
Jamie Monastyrski
Press Secretary
Office of the National Chief
[email protected]
(613) 612-7229 (mobile)