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OPA

Office of Public Affairs

Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative

In June 2021, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, a comprehensive effort to recognize the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies with the goal of addressing their intergenerational impact and to shed light on the traumas of the past. 

Under the leadership of Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland, the Department prepared a report detailing the U.S. law and policy framework of the federal Indian boarding school system and available historical records to develop the first official list of federal Indian boarding school sites and identify associated marked and unmarked burial sites. This report lays the groundwork for the continued work of the Interior Department to address the intergenerational trauma created by policies supporting the historical federal Indian boarding school system. It reflects an extensive and first-ever inventory of federally operated Indian boarding schools, including summary profiles of each school and maps of general locations of schools in current states.  

Between 1819 through the 1970s, the United States implemented policies establishing and supporting Indian boarding schools across the nation. The purpose of federal Indian boarding schools was to culturally assimilate American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children by forcibly removing them from their families and Indian Tribes, Alaska Native Villages, and Native Hawaiian Community.  Indian child removal coincided with Indian territorial dispossession. The report details the conditions experienced by attendees including manual labor and discouraging or preventing American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian languages, religions, and cultural beliefs. While children attended federal Indian boarding schools, many endured physical and emotional abuse and, in some cases, died.   

The investigation found that from 1819 to 1969, the federal Indian boarding school system consisted of 408 federal schools across 37 states or then territories, including 21 schools in Alaska and 7 schools in Hawaii. The investigation identified marked or unmarked burial sites at approximately 53 different schools across the system. As the investigation continues, the Department expects the number of identified burial sites to increase.  

The COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting closures of federal facilities call for further investigation. Assistant Secretary Newland recommends next steps that will be taken in a second volume, aided by a new $7 million investment from Congress through fiscal year 2022.

For more information regarding the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, go to the Department’s priority page.

What You Need to Know

Contact Us

U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20240
Open 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday.

Regional Offices

Delivery of program services to the federally recognized tribes and individual Indians and Alaska Natives, whether directly or through contracts, grants or compacts, is administered by the twelve regional offices and 83 agencies that report to the BIA Deputy Director-Field Operations, located in Washington, D.C.

Assistant Secretary Newland to host briefing for Tribal leaders on 2023 Budget Request for Indian Affairs

Dates: April 15, 2022 1:00am to 2:00am

Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Bryan Newland will host a briefing for Tribal leaders on the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget request for Indian Affairs. The briefing will take place via conference call on Friday, April 15, 2022, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. EDT.

Contact Us

Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
1849 C Street Northwest, MS-4660 MIB
Washington, DC 20240
Hours
Monday - Friday | 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Indian Affairs expands opportunities for Native businesses with new Buy Indian Act rule

For Immediate Release:
April 07, 2022

The Department of the Interior’s Office of the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs today announced new regulations to improve implementation of the Buy Indian Act to promote economic development opportunities in Indian Country. The final rule was developed in consultation with Tribes after the Department proposed revisions to the Buy Indian Act regulations last year.

Contact Us

Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs
1849 C Street Northwest, MS-4660 MIB
Washington, DC 20240
Hours
Monday - Friday | 8:30 a..m. - 4:30 p.m.

Buy-Back Program sends offers to landowners with fractional interests at the Crow Reservation

For Immediate Release:
March 25, 2022

The Department of the Interior today announced nearly 3,000 landowners with fractional interests at the Crow Reservation have been sent more than $97 million in purchase offers from the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations. Landowners who received offers have until April 11, 2022, to consider and return accepted offers in the pre-paid postage envelopes provided.

Contact Us

Indian Affairs - Public Affairs
1849 C Street Northwest, MS-4660 MIB
Washington, DC 20240
Hours
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Monday - Friday

2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit

President Biden and the Administration look forward to hosting a robust and meaningful dialogue with Tribal leaders on key issues, policy initiatives, and goals for Indian Country. This year we have changed the name from a conference to a summit to reflect the federal government’s Nation-to-Nation relationship with Tribal Nations. The Biden-Harris Administration is deeply committed to honoring our trust and treaty responsibilities to federally recognized Tribes and the Summit provides an opportunity for Tribal leaders to engage directly with officials from the highest levels of the Administration.

Event Details

  • More Event Information:
    President Biden and the Administration look forward to hosting a robust and meaningful dialogue with Tribal leaders on key issues, policy initiatives, and goals for Indian Country. This year we have changed the name from a conference to a summit to reflect the federal government’s Nation-to-Nation relationship with Tribal Nations. The Biden-Harris Administration is deeply committed to honoring our trust and treaty responsibilities to federally recognized Tribes and the Summit provides an opportunity for Tribal leaders to engage directly with officials from the highest levels of the Administration.

Additional Information

BIA announces first proposed electric rate increase since 2006 by the San Carlos Irrigation Project in Arizona

For Immediate Release:
February 09, 2022

The Bureau of Indian Affairs announced today that, due to increased costs of delivering electrical utility service, the San Carlos Irrigation Project in Arizona is proposing an increase in electricity rates, effective June 1, 2022. This will be the first rate increase for San Carlos Irrigation Project Power Division customers in 16 years.

Contact Us

Indian Affairs - Public Affairs
1849 C Street NW MS-4660 MIB
Washington, DC 20240
Hours
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Monday-Friday)

BIA announces first proposed electric rate increase since 2006 by the San Carlos Irrigation Project in Arizona

For Immediate Release:
February 09, 2022

The Bureau of Indian Affairs announced today that, due to increased costs of delivering electrical utility service, the San Carlos Irrigation Project in Arizona is proposing an increase in electricity rates, effective June 1, 2022. This will be the first rate increase for San Carlos Irrigation Project Power Division customers in 16 years.

Contact Us

Indian Affairs - Public Affairs
1849 C Street NW MS-4660 MIB
Washington, DC 20240
Hours
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Monday-Friday)

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