Oneida Indian Nation Homelands (October 28, 2024) – Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter today released the following statement in response to the President Joe Biden’s formal apology to Native Americans for a government-run boarding school system that forcibly separated generations of Native American children from their families.
“We commend President Biden for his willingness to address the historical impact of Indian Boarding School policies, and we are grateful to the Department of Interior and Secretary Haaland for their ongoing efforts to shed light on the trauma caused by these policies. These schools left an indelible imprint on the Oneida Indian Nation and all Native people, and they are not a distant memory for us. Survivors live among our communities and the trauma they endured echoes through our families. Today’s historic apology is an important step forward in addressing the wrongs of the past and bringing our communities together for the benefit of future generations.”