Native Boarding Schools

We write to you as a group of U.S. Quakers who formed the Quakers and ‘Indian Boarding Schools’ Research Network (QIBS) in late 2022. Our collective purpose is to thoroughly research 19th-century Quaker involvement in assimilationist boarding schools, and to make our findings accessible to Native American families and tribes and to the Religious Society of Friends.

For the past five years, FCNL has been advocating for a bill to establish a truth and healing commission to investigate the U.S. federal government’s role in implementing Indian Boarding Era policies. From the early 1800s to the late 1960s, the U.S. government attempted to assimilate Native children into white culture. These policies stole Native children from their homes, their communities, and their cultures.

Today, Senator Peter Welch (VT) re-introduced legislation to restore U.S. support for UNRWA, the U.N. agency leading humanitarian aid operations in Gaza.

The second Trump administration has been marked by chaos and rising threats of authoritarianism, oligarchy, and White Christian nationalism.

Last night, a bill was reintroduced in the 119th Congress to appoint a commission to investigate the Indian Boarding School era and the role of the federal government. Learn more.

FCNL welcomes the reintroduction of the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States (S.761) in the Senate.

FCNL is aware of reports that Native Americans have been subject to or targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in immigration raids. We remain committed to a just and safe immigration process. If you are concerned about your risk, please reach out to your tribal leadership.

Halito F/friends,

A month after he became the first U.S. president to apologize to Native people for the horrors of the federal Indian boarding school system, President Joe Biden designated a new National Monument on the site of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. Learn more about the significance of this announcement and the next steps that Congress must take.

Halito F/friends.

On December 9th, at the 2024 Tribal Nations Summit in Washington, DC, President Joe Biden announced the designation of a new national monument on the site of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.

Happy Native American Heritage Month (NAHM)! While FCNL works year-round in solidarity with Native people across the country, this is a time of year when the necessity of our work is especially clear. We are reflecting on FCNL’s longstanding commitment to right relationship with Native people and look forward to continuing that commitment.