Image Source: Matthew Brown, Associated Press
More than $1.6 million in federal funding for projects documenting the abuse of Indigenous children in U.S. government-run boarding schools was cut under the Trump administration. These cuts, part of broader federal cost-cutting, ended grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), halting efforts like digitizing 100,000+ historical records and recording oral histories from survivors.
This comes after recent momentum toward truth and healing, including a federal investigation under the Biden administration and a presidential apology in 2023. Native leaders and advocates, like Deborah Parker of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, say these cuts undermine efforts to confront historical trauma and prevent healing.
Several tribal projects across the country lost funding, including efforts in Alaska to record elders’ stories and curate boarding school exhibits. Critics argue the cuts save very little money but have a major impact on reconciliation efforts and historical truth-telling.
Despite the setbacks, many communities remain committed to preserving and sharing these painful histories.
Learn more: https://www.stltoday.com/news/nation-world/article_72ce7ba0-6e1d-50ec-b9fa-2aeea7c8d6dd.html
