Progress Made on Senate Bill to Establish a US Truth and Healing Commission On Indian Boarding School Policies

Senators Schatz, Murkowski, and Warren to Lead Floor Block on the Senate Floor

Washington, D.C. –  Today, Wednesday, July 24 at 6:30 p.m. ET, Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Vice Chairman of the Committee, will lead a group of Senators to speak on S.1723, the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act. 

WHAT: Schatz, Murkowski, and Warren to lead Senate floor block on the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act.

WHO: Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska),Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.)

WHEN: Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. ET

WHERE: U.S. Senate Chamber, a livestream of the event will be available here.

This bipartisan bill marks a significant milestone. By supporting this legislation, we are taking a momentous step as a Nation toward recognizing and honoring boarding school survivors, descendants and those who never had the chance to return home. Survivors and their descendants deserve the opportunity to heal from historical injustices in a way that is meaningful and aligned with their cultural values.

This federal commission will:

• Locate church and government records
• Examine the location of children forcibly placed in U.S. Indian boarding schools
• Hold culturally-appropriate public hearings to collect testimony from survivors and descendants
• Gather institutional knowledge from subject matter experts
• Document the boarding schools’ ongoing impacts
• Tell the truth by sharing findings publicly with cultural sensitivity
• Provide a final report with a list of recommendations for healing

We encourage you to contact your senator and ask them to co-sponsor S.1723 and vote yes when it comes to the Senate floor for a vote. For your reference, the NABS U.S. Truth & Healing Commission Bill advocacy toolkit is available here.

The time to heal these intergenerational traumas is now. Join us in our pursuit of truth, justice, and healing. Support this crucial legislation by donating today.

The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) is dedicated to advocating for Native peoples impacted by U.S. Indian boarding schools. NABS seeks truth through education and research, justice through activism and policy advocacy, and healing through programs and traditional gatherings. boardingschoolhealing.org.