World News for Students of English

31-10-2024 07:00

President Joe Biden formally apologized for the US government’s involvement in Indian boarding schools, calling it one of the most horrific chapters in American history.

These schools operated from 1819 to 1969, with the government either managing or funding them. The purpose was to forcibly remove Indigenous children from their culture by separating them from their families, banning their languages, and punishing those who resisted. A report by the Department of the Interior this year found that close to 1,000 Indigenous children died in these schools, but the number is likely far higher. The Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland, who has Indigenous heritage, accompanied Biden and noted that these schools represented trauma and were places of abuse. Indigenous leaders praised the apology but said true healing would require continued resources and educational efforts for Americans to fully understand the long-term effects of these policies on Indigenous communities and their culture.

Difficult words: involvement (taking part in something), heritage (cultural background), trauma (emotional pain from a bad experience).

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