The ruthless scheme of cultural destruction perpetrated on Native American children by the U.S constructed 417 institutions spanning across 37 states and then-territories. Through these notorious institutions operated by the government, generations of indigenous children suffered unimaginable brutality.
The purported aim of these boarding schools was forced assimilation of Native American children. This historical blight is yet another instance of the abuse of power led by the government that Joe Biden apologizes for, a move some see as symbolic posturing.
Joe Biden, the present occupant of the White House, could do nothing more than offer a paltry apology for this dreadful period in our nation’s history. Dubbed by him as one of the most horrific chapters in American history, Biden made his confession in front of a group at the Gila River Indian Community.
Biden’s plea, ostensibly designed to absolve the guilt of the government, was quick to clarify that the apology was on behalf of the United States of America for our past wrongdoings. However, many might argue it’s merely a hollow gesture for the horrors that were inflicted upon these innocent children, and it’s surprising that it took more than half a century to utter it.
‘Quite frankly, there’s no excuse that this apology took over 50 years to make,’ Biden stated. Despite heavy digressions to the subject, it becomes clear that the Biden Administration is more interested in conducting political theater than confronting the guilt of past actions.
A report issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior recorded the horrifying scale of the atrocities. It revealed that 973 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children suffered untimely deaths while being forced to attend these governmental boarding schools during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The report also shed light on the physical remnants of this dark period, discovering at least 74 marked and unmarked burial sites scattered across various school locations. The magnitude of the sins committed under government auspices is staggering, and a mere apology falls woefully short of doing justice to the victims.
The 417 organizations proliferated across 37 states or then-territories had the declared intent of assimilating Native American offspring. The assimilation often took brutal forms, portraying an unflattering image of how far the government was willing to go in its quest to obliterate native cultures.
Children were forcibly detached from their familial environments and shipped to far-off schools. Stripped of their indigenous attire, separated from their names, and banned from speaking their native tongues, these children were left with no connection to their cultural roots thanks to these institutions.
The dark tale of these boarding schools serves as a reminder of government misconduct. It’s ironic that the Biden administration, under whose party leadership many of these grievous actions unfolded, is now offering an apology more than fifty years delayed.
While the apology may provide momentary solace, true recognition of past mistakes demands actions, not mere words. The Biden administration’s reluctance to pursue meaningful, material restitution only enhances the perception of shallow virtue signaling.
In retrospect, Biden’s apology has a dual purpose: a gateway to atone for historical atrocities and a platform for political posturing. Time will tell whether the focus will genuinely be on recognising the traumatic legacy left by these schools or remain a token gesture by the Biden administration.
Instead of making a strong promise for justice, and actively focusing on course-corrective measures, Biden seemed content with uttering an apology. This attitude falls in the pattern of what critics regard as the characteristic lack of action from the Biden administration.
Biden’s announcement, while may serve as a valuable public relations move, doesn’t address the underlying issues. The administration’s inabilities to take definitive steps towards healing and addressing the systemic problems are apparent.
The Biden administration has shown again that they prefer to use grand gestures and hollow words rather than taking real action. The apology for boarding schools represents another occasion where they’ve chosen to engage in superficial politics instead of meaningful change.
In the end, history will judge whether Biden’s administration was genuinely repentant for the country’s past misdeeds or using this shameful chapter as a tool for political manoeuvring and game-playing.