- Details
WASHINGTON — Speaking at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Executive Council Winter Session on Wednesday, Deborah Parker (Tulalip), CEO of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS), called on tribal leaders to advocate for the reintroduction of the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act.
In the previous Congressional session, the bill garnered 26 co-sponsors in the Senate and 86 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. Additionally, the bill received widespread support from various Tribal Nations, Tribal regional organizations, the International Indian Treaty Council, and national Native organizations, including the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).
“The opportunity we have all been waiting for is here,” Parker said. “If we’re going to get this done, the time is now. We owe it to ourselves, our Tribal Nations, boarding school survivors, and especially our future generations. We must vow to do better.”
NABS is advocating for the bill to be reintroduced into the 118th Congress.
The bi-partisan bill would establish a federal commission to:
- Conduct a full inquiry into the assimilative policies of U.S. Indian boarding schools.
- Collect testimony from boarding school survivors, Tribes, and subject matter experts.
- Create a findings and recommendations report, identifying legislative and administrative actions to address the impacts of U.S. Indian boarding schools.
- Investigate beyond DOI’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative and review records from churches and educational institutions that operated Indian boarding schools.
On Tuesday, during her State of Indian Nations Address, NCAI President Fawn Sharp (Quinault) said, “As our investigations continue to uncover the atrocities perpetrated in boarding schools in North America, we need to prepare ourselves mentally, physically, and spiritually to confront the full pain of that history. We must seek out the facts, and own them, so that we can eventually clear the path to an era of truth, healing, and empowerment.”
More Stories Like This
50 Years of Self-Determination: How a Landmark Act Empowered Tribal Sovereignty and Transformed Federal-Tribal RelationsMacArthur Foundation Launches Native Self-Determination Program, Pledges Expanded Support
In Runoff Triumph, David Sickey Elected Chairman of Coushatta Tribe
San Carlos Tribe Celebrates Temporary Victory in Federal Court to Save Oak Flat
LAND BACK: 47,097 Acres Returned to Yurok Tribe
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
