Biden visits Indian Country and apologizes for the ’sin’ of a 150-year boarding school policy

President Joe Biden apologizes to Native Americans for government-run boarding schools, boosting Democratic outreach efforts in key battleground states.

President Joe Biden on Friday (October 25, 2024) formally apologized to Native Americans for the “sin” of a government-run boarding school system that for decades forcibly separated children from their parents, calling it a “blot on American history” in his first Presidential visit to Indian Country.

“It's a sin on our soul,” said Mr. Biden, his voice full of anger and emotion. “Quite frankly, there’s no excuse that this apology took 50 years to make.”

It was a moment of contrition and frustration as the President sought to recognize one of the “most horrific chapters” in the national story. Mr. Biden spoke of the abuses and deaths of Native children that resulted from the federal government's policies, noting that “while darkness can hide much, it erases nothing" and that great nations “must know the good, the bad, the truth of who we are.”

“I formally apologize as President of United States of America for what we did,” Mr. Biden said. The government's removal of children from their Native American community for boarding schools "will always be a significant mark of shame, a blot on American history. For too long, this all happened with virtually no public attention, not written about in our history books, not taught in our schools.”

Democrats hope Mr. Biden's visit to the Gila River Indian Community’s land on the outskirts of Phoenix's metro area will also boost Vice President Kamala Harris' turnout effort in a key battleground state. The moment gave Mr. Biden a fuller chance to spotlight his and Ms. Harris’ support for tribal nations, a group that historically has favoured Democrats, in a state he won just by 10,000 votes in 2020.

The race between Ms. Harris and former President Donald Trump is expected to be similarly close, and both campaigns are doing whatever they can to improve turnout among bedrock supporters.

“The race is now a turnout grab,” said Mike O’Neil, a non-partisan pollster based in Arizona. “The trendlines throughout have been remarkably steady. The question is which candidate is going to be able to turn out their voters in a race that seems to be destined to be decided by narrow margins.”