Professor Reflects on Biden's Historic Apology to Native Americans

Professor Reflects on Biden's Historic Apology to Native Americans

By Joely Proudfit

CSUSM professor Joely Proudfit (left) attended the recent event at the Gila River Indian Community in which President Joe Biden apologized for the devastating legacy of Indian boarding schools. Proudfit is pictured with Pauma-Yuima band of Luiseño Indians matriarch Juana Majel-Dixon, a longtime mentor and powerful force for Native American rights.

After spending a few days at the White House meeting with the National Advisory Council on Indian Education, I flew directly from Washington, D.C., to Arizona. As I sat among distinguished tribal leaders and advocates at the Gila River Indian Community on Friday, Oct. 25, I witnessed a moment that generations of Native Americans have long awaited. President Joe Biden delivered a formal apologyon behalf of the United States for the devastating legacy of Indian boarding schools - a system that sought to erase our people, our culture and our languages for over 150 years.

"I formally apologize as president of the United States of America for what we did," Biden said in strident remarks. "It's long overdue."

"The federal Indian boarding school policy, the pain it has caused, will always be a significant mark of shame, a blot on American history," Biden said.

As both an academic leader and Payómkawichum and Tongva woman, my presence for this historic moment carried profound personal and professional significance. The presidential apology, following the U.S. Department of the Interior's comprehensive investigation and "The Road to Healing" tour, represented more than just words - it marked a crucial step toward acknowledging the intergenerational trauma that continues to impact Native communities.

"For too long, this nation sought to silence the voices of generations of Native children, but now your voices are being heard," Biden declared during the ceremony.

I'm the director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center, and these words resonated deeply with our ongoing mission to preserve and advance Native American culture, history and sovereignty.

One of the most meaningful aspects of the day was sitting alongside members of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, especially with a particular board member: Pauma-Yuima band of Luiseño Indians matriarch Juana Majel-Dixon, a longtime mentor and powerful force for Native American rights. Our connection spans years of advocacy work, including a memorable moment when, as she reminded me during the event, we participated in a crucial Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) call with then-Sen. Biden. Juana's tireless work led to President Barack Obama giving her one of the pens used to sign the VAWA reauthorization - a pen that now holds a place of honor in our California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center, serving as a daily reminder to our students about the power of activism and engagement.

While we appreciate President Biden's apology, there is so much more that must be done. We hope Biden will follow up by effectuating meaningful and appropriate action throughout his administration. Even as Native people receive this first-time official apology from the commander in chief, the U.S. Army continues to refuse to fulfill repatriation requests, pursuant to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, to return the remains of the children who died at one of the first and most notorious federal Indian boarding schools, the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.

President Joe Biden looks on as Stephen Roe Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community, speaks during the recent press conference in Arizona.

The federal government must take concrete steps beyond apologies. A critical priority must be implementing fully funded, as I coined, "Language of the Land" initiatives requiring all schools to teach the Indigenous languages of their regions. This would include restoring original place names across the landscape - from mountains and rivers to cities and streets - returning them to their Indigenous names in Native languages. Such restoration of language and place names is not merely symbolic but represents a fundamental act of cultural justice and healing, returning what was systematically erased through colonization.

Additionally, the government must fully fund tribal health care and education systems, protect tribal sovereignty and self-determination, strengthen tribal jurisdiction, honor all treaty obligations, protect sacred sites and cultural resources, ensure meaningful tribal consultation on federal projects affecting tribal lands and resources, address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, and provide comprehensive resources for cultural revitalization programs.

We hope President Biden's apology provides leadership for federal officials and personnel to foster cooperation between the U.S. and tribal nations so that Native communities may continue to heal.

It was heartening to see and share this day with so many friends and colleagues, and it was particularly moving to reconnect with individuals like Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, whose documentary "Sugarcane" powerfully captures the boarding school experience. I plan to bring this film to campus for a special screening and discussion. Their work ensures that these stories will continue to educate future generations.

As an educator and advocate for Native American rights, I recognize that while this apology is historic, it's just the beginning. When Gila River Governor Stephen Lewis and the people of Gila River opened their homelands for this historic event, they created a space not just for an apology, but for a new chapter in Native American history. At the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center and within our American Indian studies program, we remain committed to supporting the healing process, preserving Indigenous knowledge and empowering the next generation of Native leaders.

Indeed, it was a good day to be Indigenous. But more importantly, it marked the beginning of the real work - transforming this historic apology into meaningful action and lasting change for our communities. As I return to campus, I carry with me a renewed commitment to our mission and the knowledge that through our continued efforts, we will ensure that this moment becomes a catalyst for the healing and empowerment of Native peoples. While we have much work ahead, we are moving in the right direction.

Proudfit is the chair of CSUSM's American Indian studies department and director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center on campus.

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