On Biden’s apology to Indian boarding schools

Those first steps really mean something to some of us. My grandmother, Luella Seelye, attended boarding school. She wanted to hear an apology from the American president, but when she died, the toddler was still crawling. I think we should encourage those first tentative steps. We should ask for more. Don’t stop there. Across the country, tribes are working, investing, praying, building and rebuilding their communities, undertaking cultural and language revitalization efforts, and more. Restorative justice is long overdue. As a second step, let’s fund Indigenous language revitalization efforts, empower and support Indigenous nations, and continue the heroic steps we’ve made to disrupt systemic poverty.

Instead of looking at an apology for what it is not, we should look at an apology for what it is – an opportunity to set a new tone for our country and begin a healing journey. I understand indigenous people wanting things to happen faster and differently. But 500 years of a culture of silence and responding to it with “shut up” will not lead to healing. No one can or should be forced to accept an apology if they do not feel it; but no one should be forced to reject any if this happens. We will all be best served if we work towards reconciliation despite the impulse to distance ourselves. And foreigners will have to overcome fear and shame to connect with us. The only way to do this is to work together.