ACTIONS 

BREAK THE SILENCE, BEGIN THE HEALING

Working for Truth, Healing, and Justice for Boarding School Survivors and Descendants.

“Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act” (S.2907, H.R. 5444)

CORE MESSAGE: Every Native person in this country has the right to truth, justice, and healing from Indian boarding schools. The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act is overdue, and we urge our Congressional leaders to take action now. Native people endured over 150 years of boarding school policies; the truth cannot wait any longer.

LINKS

• 7 Weeks of Action for 7 Generations TOOL KIT

• .RESOLUTIONS AND PETITIONS

  We need the support of the masses to enact change. Tribes and Tribal Organizations have passed resolutions in support of boarding school healing, individuals have signed petitions in support of repatriation and government acknowledgment of boarding school impacts, and letters have been written to Congress, but there is still more work to do.

• The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition An excellent site with an extensive database of resource material, including Boarding School History and current issues information.

  Including:

• "The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the U.S. Act" (H.R.5444 and S.2907)

• Legacy of Hope Foundation (Canadian)
  A national Indigenous charitable organization with the mandate to educate and create awareness and understanding about the Residential School System, including the intergenerational impacts such as the removal of generations of Indigenous children from their families, including the Sixties Scoop, the post-traumatic stress disorders that many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis continue to experience, all while trying to address racism, foster empathy and understanding and inspire action to improve the situation of Indigenous Peoples today. The LHF supports the ongoing healing process of Residential School Survivors and their families and seeks their input on projects that honour them.

• National Center for Truth and Reconciliation (Canadian)
  The NCTR was created as part of the mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). The TRC was charged to listen to Survivors, their families, communities and others affected by the residential school system and educate Canadians about their experiences. The resulting collection of statements, documents and other materials now forms the sacred heart of the NCTR.

• Assembly of National Educational Toolkit (Canadian)
  A tool to bring together First Nations and non-First Nations people and foster a spirit of cooperation, understanding, and action.

• Truth and Healing Commission on US Boarding School Policies Act  Video with a detailed listing of the key provisions of the S.2907/HR 5444 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4f1uHK4SiY

• Exterminate all the Brutes - Trailer for HBO Miniseries,

https://www.hbo.com/exterminate-all-the-brutes 

  • Companion Book https://www.amazon.com/Exterminate-All-Brutes-Darkness-European/dp/1565843592 This 4-part HBOMax series, based on the book by  Sven Lindqvist, deals with how western Europeans acted and reacted when they came into contact with indigenous people across the world.  It is a masterpiece.



• Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report.  This report, published in May, 2022,  was the end result of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative called for by Secretary of the Interior Deb Harland in June 2021. 

https://www.bia.gov/sites/default/files/dup/inline-files/bsi_investigative_report_may_2022_508.pdf

• 
Link to the congress.gov page for  S.2907 - Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies ActS.2907

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2907/text

• 
Link to the Companion Bill, HR 5444

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5444

National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition Home Page

https://boardingschoolhealing.org

League of Women Voters, “Living Voices” webpage

http://www.livingvoices.org

• Information on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/People



https://www.nativewomenswilderness.org/mmiw

BOOKS

• Tulalip, From My Heart: An Autobiographical Account of a Reservation Community (Naomi B. Pascal Editor's Endowment xx) Paperback

ADDITIONAL WAYS TO ENGAGE

• Encourage your local municipalities to formally recognize the second Monday of the month as Indigenous People’s Day The White House A Proclamation on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, 2022

• Find out which tribe’s land you are on 

Just text your zip code or your city and state (separated by a comma) to (907) 312-5085 and the bot will respond with the names of the Native lands that correspond to that region. land.codeforancorage.org

• Consider introducing a land acknowledgment at the beginning of meetings 

Five Steps to Writing A Land Acknowledgment

WSFDW  North America Land Acknowledgment

• Support allocating budgets for investigating missing and murdered indigenous people.HB 2951 - 2017-18 HB 2951 - 2017-18 Ordering a study to determine how to increase reporting and investigation of missing Native American 

• Support United States Secretary of the Interior Debra Haaland and her work
  
  

• Ask how your local schools are incorporating Native American history into the curriculum National Indian Education Association

• Support your local Native American caucus.

  • National Caucus of Native American State Legislators (NCNASL)

  • Congressional Native American Caucus

  • Native American Caucus of the Washington State Democrats

• Support and encourage local Native American candidates The Rise of Indigenous Candidates Raises Awareness of Key Issues

• Host a “Living Voices” presentation Native Vision - Living Voices 


  • All of the programs here are of excellent historical value. “Native Vision” complements the context of this presentation.

• Support United States Secretary of the Interior Debra Haaland

• LINK to Google Doc of Resources listed on this page