Last Updated on 2 years by IMYM Tech Lead
Approved by Intermountain Yearly Meeting on June 17, 2022
In June 2021, IMYM approved a minute supporting the “Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policy Act,” although a bill had not yet been introduced in the House and Senate. The bill is now designated as H.R. 5444/S. 2907. Intermountain Yearly Meeting reaffirms our support for this bill, which would create a Truth and Healing Commission to address the historical trauma experienced by Native American and Alaska Native children who were forcibly removed from their homes and placed in Indian
boarding schools. The children were taught to reject their Native languages, cultures, and spiritual practices and adopt Euro-American culture. Native Americans continue to suffer multi-generational trauma caused by this policy of forced assimilation and cultural genocide. Quakers were among the strongest supporters of the Indian boarding school policy and operated some 30 Indian schools (some in collaboration with the federal government) for varying periods of time.
We recognize that the history of the Indian schools is more complex than can be described in this brief minute. IMYM urges individual Friends and monthly meetings to watch for this bill and to urge their congressional representatives to support it. IMYM further urges Friends to learn the history of the Quaker Indian schools and consider ways to support Native-managed healing processes, including tribal programs to teach Native languages and prevent youth suicide. Resources for Further Information and Reflection
1) The website for the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. https://boardingschoolhealing.org
2) Paula Palmer’s video “The Quaker Boarding Schools: Facing our History and Ourselves.” https://vimeo.com/192219802/376f2f1ddb
3) Paula Palmer’s article “Quaker Indian Boarding Schools, Facing Our History and Ourselves,” Friends Journal,
4) Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples website, https://friendspeaceteams.org/trr
5) A First Look at the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Report, by Portia Skenandore-Wheelock, https://www.fcnl.org/updates/2022-05/first-look-federal-indian-boarding-school-initiative-report
6) Decolonizing Quakers website, www.decolonizingquakers.org
7) Interior Secretary Haaland Opinion|My grandparents were stolen from their families as children.