(Washington, D.C., Thursday, June 2, 2022) – The United States Department of the Interior has released a first-of-its kind report that looks at the loss of life and abuse that took place at Native American boarding schools that were supported by the federal government.

The first volume of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Report looks at the lasting consequences of the abuse of students from these schools.

Abuse ran rampant at over 400 schools across 37 states, and over 1,000 other institutions that involved the education of Native children. Abuse included the withholding of food, solitary confinement, and physical punishment.

The investigation also discovered 53 burial sites at boarding school locations across the country. The discovery of more mass graves is expected as the Interior Department continues their investigation.

While the Interior Department continues its investigation, Congress must act by establishing the first formal commission in U.S. history to address the attempted termination of Indigenous languages and cultures via assimilation practices during the federal boarding school era.

While this report is a vital and long-awaited step, the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) believes that more action is needed from lawmakers and from faith communities complicit in this dark chapter of American history.

The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) lobbies Congress and the administration to advance peace, justice, opportunity, and environmental stewardship. Founded in 1943 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), FCNL fields an expert team of lobbyists on Capitol Hill and works with a grassroots network of thousands of people to advocate for peace and justice. FCNL is a nonpartisan organization with a long and trusted record of working across political divides to achieve positive change.