An apology and other indigenous news
Guest post by the Native American & Human Rights Action Group
Shortly before the election in November, US President Joe Biden officially apologized to Native Americans for the former forced assimilation. Will he pardon the long-term indigenous prisoner Leonard Peltier in his last days in office? And more.
Apology from US President Biden for the boarding school system in the USA
By Monika Seiller
It was only shortly before the end of his term as US President that Joe Biden found his way to the Indigenous people to apologize on behalf of the US government for one of the “most heinous chapters in American history” (Biden's words) - the forced system of boarding schools, where Indigenous children (as in Canada) were subjected to oppression and assimilation for over a century. The slogan “Kill the Indian, Save the Man” was coined by Richard Pratt, a US military man who founded the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in 1879 - the US model for the boarding schools to which generations of Indigenous children were sent in order to turn them into assimilated “Christian men” - in reality, however, cheap laborers who were robbed of their Indigenous identity.
On October 25, 2024, Biden announced his official apology during a visit to the Gila River Indian Community, a reservation in Arizona. In his emotional speech, Biden declared that “there is no excuse for the fact that it has taken 50 years for the government to acknowledge its debt to the Indians” and then asked for a moment of silence in memory of the lost and traumatized generations. The policy of residential schools is a “sin on our souls”, explained Biden. It was not until the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (P.L. 93 638) was passed in 1975 that the era of boarding schools was officially ended.
Was Biden's declaration a long overdue satisfaction for the indigenous people? Not at all. After all, his stuttered speech (the original transcript of which can be read on the White House website, complete with all the misfires) comes 16 years (!) after the Canadian government, which is truly practiced in excuses and suppression, apologized. Moreover - embarrassingly enough - it was Biden's first trip to “Indian Country” since taking office. Biden had almost four years to visit the indigenous peoples - but just two weeks before the decisive election on November 5, he probably remembered in time that in the swing state of Arizona with its 7.2 million inhabitants, the indigenous peoples make up 4.5% of the population. In the traditionally Republican-dominated state, every vote counts - and the indigenous people are more likely to vote for the Democrats - if they are not excluded from the election by numerous obstacles.
In his speech, Biden therefore also praised his achievements in the area of indigenous rights. In fact, the first Indigenous woman was appointed Secretary of the Interior under him, and alongside Deb Haaland, more Indigenous people have held positions in the administration than ever before. However, the USA is lagging far behind when it comes to dealing with residential schools and their consequences. While the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in Canada began its work in 2009 and presented a six-volume final report in 2015, this process has only taken tentative steps under Deb Haaland, including the establishment of the National Native Boarding School Healing Commission (see Coyote magazine, issue no. 137).
The Indigenous response to Biden's “Apology” was therefore rather muted. Many welcomed the long overdue apology, but want action rather than words - and not just to be placated as “puppet voters”. They are demanding a comprehensive reappraisal, including the passing of legislation to establish a “U.S. Truth & Healing Commission”, financial support for the revitalization of indigenous culture and language and the investigation of abuse of indigenous children in boarding schools. They are also calling for funding to search for the graves of indigenous children. So far, almost 1,000 deaths at boarding schools have been documented.
COP 16: Recognition for indigenous peoples despite failed summit
In the early hours of November 2, it was clear that the global community - or rather the rich industrialized nations - had once again failed to make “peace with nature”, as the title of the 16th COP, the United Nations Conference on the Convention on Biological Diversity, which took place in Cali, Colombia, from October 21 to November 1, 2024, read. The conference was supposed to translate the resolutions of the previous conference in Montreal in 2022 into concrete plans, but in the end the negotiations (or rather the haggling over money) dragged on for so long that half of the participants had already left and the conference was no longer quorate. Participants from poorer countries in particular complained that they simply could not afford to re-book their flight tickets.
At least there was one success for the indigenous peoples, who had accompanied the meetings since the beginning of the conferences and had pushed for more sustainability and justice. They have now been given an official working group by the United Nations. It remains to be seen what weight this body will have, but the resilience of the indigenous people has helped to ensure that their voices are heard. The implementation of their demands is the responsibility of the states.
“The Women of the Red Power Movement” - Interview with Beth Castle
In the last issues of our magazine “Coyote”, we reported extensively on the Warrior Women Project and discussed their exhibition Matriarchs of Wounded Knee, which was on show in Munich in August this year. In an hour-long radio interview, Elizabeth Castle, the director of the project, who filmed the documentary Warrior Women together with Christina King, reported on the background to the project, which is based not least on her dissertation on the women of the Red Power movement.
The Women of the Red Power Movement Interview with Elizabeth (Beth) Castle ©WORT 89.9FM MadisonOnce again: Appeal for support for Leonard Peltier
In our last newsletter, we asked for support for the release of the indigenous political prisoner Leonard Peltier, who has been behind bars for almost five decades and is now seriously ill. He was recently hospitalized for treatment. The last hope of securing his early release rests with outgoing US President Joe Biden. He has the option of pardoning the 80-year-old or releasing him from prison on humanitarian grounds.
E-Mail: president@whitehouse.gov oder über das Webformular auf www.whitehouse.gov.
This text is an excerpt from the Newsletter 2024-10 of the Action Group Indians & Human Rights and was first published in German. I have translated the text into English and added some links. I apologize for the late publication.
Guest posts do not automatically reflect the opinion of the blog owner.