Davids, Cole Statements on Advancement of Bipartisan Bill to Investigate Federal Boarding School Policies

Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) and Tom Cole (R-OK-04), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Native American Caucus, released the following statements after the U.S. House Committee on Education & the Workforce advanced their bipartisan bill, the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2024, through markup:

"I would not be here if not for the resilience of my ancestors and those who came before me — including my grandparents, who are survivors of federal Indian Boarding Schools,” said Congresswoman Sharice Davids, Member of the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin and Co-Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus. “I am glad my colleagues came together today to advance the establishment of a Truth and Healing Commission, bringing survivors, federal partners, and Tribal leaders to the table to fully investigate what happened to our relatives and work towards a brighter path for the next seven generations.”

“Indian boarding schools have had devastating impacts on Native communities. Yet, for so many years, the true stories about what happened to these Native children are unknown,” said Congressman Tom Cole, Member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and Co-Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus. “As an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and the longest-serving Native American in the House of Representatives, it is a priority of mine to properly represent our Indian communities in Congress. Therefore, I am committed to investigating the tragic abuses that occurred at these boarding schools and bringing light to this dark chapter in our nation’s history. This Commission will hopefully bring these communities one step closer to healing and peace for themselves, their families, and future generations, and I would like to thank Chairwoman Virginia Foxx for moving this bill through the legislative process.”

Background:

Earlier this year, Davids and Cole reintroduced the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2024 — legislation to investigate, document, and report on the histories of Indian boarding schools, Indian boarding school policies, and long-term impacts on Native communities. Davids, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin and one of the first two Native women elected to Congress, and Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and longest-serving Native American in the U.S. House of Representatives, are committed to investigating the abuses at these institutions, which are connected to an estimated 500 student deaths.

The bipartisan Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2024 would:

• Establish a formal commission to investigate, document, and acknowledge past injustices of the federal government’s Indian Boarding School Policies.
• This includes attempts to terminate Native cultures, religions, and languages; assimilation practices; and human rights violations.
• Develop recommendations for federal entities to aid in healing the historical and intergenerational trauma passed down in Native families and communities.
• Provide a forum for victims to speak about personal experiences tied to these human rights violations.

This bill has been endorsed by the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS), National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), National Indian Education Association (NIEA), American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), and the National Indian Health Board (NIHB).