US grappling with Native American boarding school history

By FELICIA FONSECA
Associated Press

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The U.S. government hasn’t been open to investigating its role in stripping Native Americans of their cultures and identities in boarding schools. Until now. That’s partly because people who know first-hand the persistent trauma caused by the boarding school system are positioned in the U.S. government. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland last year announced an investigation into the government’s oversight of Native American boarding schools, and the Interior Department released some initial findings this week. But the work to uncover the truth and create a path for healing will require financial resources. And tribes will have to navigate federal laws on repatriation to bring home children who died and were buried at the schools.