‘War Against the Children’
New York TimesMAR 28 2023
Report: Over 900 Native Children Died in US Boarding Schools
Above: Youth from Northern Arizona pose in support of Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives Awareness Day 2021. Image copyright: US Indian Affairs via Flickr
The Spin
Narrative A
Churches, as well as the US government, must apologize for their role in the cultural destruction and forced assimilation of innocent Indigenous children. There must be a widespread reckoning within American culture with this dark chapter in US history.
Narrative B
While this probe highlights the grave injustices Indigenous children faced, the survivors and their descendants must be assured that this horrific chapter of history will be duly acknowledged. This can then lead to collective healing and validation of cultural identity.