Advice | Exploiting Indigenous Trauma: Is Biden’s Apology a Sincere Gesture or an Election Ploy?

Last updated:Oct 30, 2024 11:14 IST

No matter how well written or heartfelt the words sound, they cannot undo or erase the suffering that indigenous communities have endured. For Native Americans, healing will take more than just words

President Biden’s apology is being touted as an indication that the Democratic White House is recognizing these historic mistakes. (Image: Reuters)

Exploring the most sinister facets of American history has begun with the outgoing Biden administration dramatically admitting injustices and serious crimes against Native Americans, especially boarding school atrocities. The public apology to Native American communities for the violence and cultural eradication that occurred during the boarding school era comes amid a tough election for Democrats, with Biden claiming “it was a crucial step” in healing age-old scars. But the key question remains: is an apology enough?

Native American history is marked by a relentless quest for cultural survival, as well as trauma, grief and resilience. A particularly tragic period in this history is the era of Native American boarding schools, in which children were taken from their homes and sent to institutions run by evangelists in an attempt to “civilize” them.

Languages, sacred customs, and bonds that connect families and communities have all been shattered by the catastrophic actions of these institutions. In an attempt to transform them into what the Church saw as the ideal of Western culture, many children suffered severe punishment and emotional and physical abuse, often including their identity being stripped. These policies caused irreversible damage, leaving indigenous communities with a collective psyche marked by wounds that linger for generations.

One of the bloodiest periods in contemporary history was the European colonization of Native Americans; The violence, exploitation and dehumanization that followed has continued to impact indigenous cultures and societies to this day. The deliberate uprooting, exploitation and near-extermination of Native American communities from the time of the first European settlers in the 15th century^e century tell a serious story of imperial aspirations masquerading as civilizing missions. The lives of Native Americans continue to be profoundly affected by the extensive wounds inflicted on their land, traditions, and history. Children from indigenous communities in the US and Europe, who were forcibly baptized, were tortured in the process of making them ‘civil’, and thousands lost their lives, many buried alive in ‘Indian schools’.

The Doctrine of Discovery gave European kings the authority to assert claims to areas their explorers had “discovered,” based on the logic that Native Americans, who were considered “uncivilized” and “pagan,” had no right to their ancestral lands . To support the European agenda, the indigenous people were dehumanized and the land was turned into a resource to be conquered rather than a place to be revered. Colonists brought slavery, environmental degradation, and bloodshed when they introduced “civilization” and Christianity, coupled with forced evangelism of a severe kind.

Furthermore, indigenous populations were forced into exploitative labor and economic dependence by European settlers. Native Americans were made into instruments of colonial wealth and forced to labor in mines and plantations. An exploitative dynamic, which persisted well into the periods of industrialization and capitalism, was further reinforced when their lands were converted into resources for the Europeans to plunder. Native American communities continued to be among the most economically disadvantaged and marginalized groups in the United States, demonstrating the long-term economic effects of these policies.

Deb Haaland, the first Native American cabinet secretary, said during her interaction with reporters earlier this week: “For more than a century, tens of thousands of indigenous children, as young as four years old, were taken from their families and communities and forced into U.S. government boarding schools and religious institutions. This also applies to my own family. For decades, this terrible chapter remained hidden from our history books. But now the work of our government will ensure that no one will ever forget.”

Members of the Native American community may not be fully convinced that a word of apology will correct these inhumane acts. Lakota People’s Law Project Director Chase Iron Eyes said, “An apology is an admission of wrongdoing, but it is not any form of reparation. An apology is only the beginning of a necessary truth-telling. An apology is a nice start, but it is not a true reckoning nor an adequate remedy for the long history of colonial violence.”

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said, “We know from experience that true healing goes beyond words – it requires action, resources and commitment. The Cherokee Nation has publicly acknowledged our own role in the painful history of Cherokee Freedmen and worked for positive change, and this country can do the same.”

President Biden’s apology is being touted as an indication that the Democratic White House is recognizing these historic mistakes. To some, the apology may seem insincere as it comes ahead of the November 5 presidential election.

The essential question, however, is whether an apology is enough to heal wounds so deep that they span generations. State-sanctioned “Indian” schools have caused serious, long-lasting harm because they were specifically designed to deprive indigenous children of their culture and identity.

No matter how well written or heartfelt the words sound, they cannot undo or erase the suffering that indigenous communities have endured. For Native Americans, healing will take more than just words; it will require action that acknowledges the pain in concrete ways. Imagine a scar from a serious injury that cannot be erased by an apology. What remains is the obligation to address the causes of the scar in the first place and acknowledge the pain. Although the government’s apology is long overdue, standing alone it can be seen as meaningless.

The destabilization of indigenous society was the result of systemic violence that extended beyond boarding schools and included resource exploitation, forced removals, and treaty violations. Only by changing policies and providing continued assistance that enables indigenous communities to regain their sovereignty, manage their lands, and revitalize their cultures will there be real reparations.

It is critical to recognize that reconciliation is a multi-faceted, ongoing process, not a single, apology-marked event in the middle of a presidential election seeking to garner votes. If they hope to make significant progress, Democrats must pledge to prevent the mistakes of the past from happening again. Furthermore, failure to recognize the extent of the violence and pain experienced means that an apology, without steps to right historical wrongs, only risks increasing Indigenous communities’ distrust of Democratic President Joe Biden.

In addition to cultural eradication, the ruthless plundering of land and resources has left Native American communities struggling with structural inequality, poverty, and intergenerational trauma. Treaties and independence movements did not spell the end of colonization; it evolved into contemporary political and economic structures that continue to benefit indigenous peoples and lands. Today, extractive industries – oil drilling, logging and mining – often invade indigenous lands, endangering natural resources and sacred sites.

Even today, Indigenous views are often ignored when choices are made that affect their lands and communities, as the Dakota Access Pipeline and related projects demonstrate. The reluctance of Western powers to actually relinquish control over indigenous resources is evident in the continued exploitation from colonial times to the present.

Despite centuries of systematic oppression, indigenous peoples across the Americas have demonstrated a remarkable ability to recover, adapt, and sustain themselves, as evidenced by their tenacity and strength. Modern society realizes that true justice requires responsibility for the past and a committed effort for a just and inclusive future, and must confront the legacy of colonial violence and exploitation.

The horrors of this period are a cornerstone of a legacy that still affects Native Americans today, and not just historical anecdotes. Therefore, an apology is about building a future where Native American sovereignty, dignity, and identity are fully honored and respected, rather than just looking back.

Should the Biden administration decide to enact one, it must be accompanied by resources and policies that recognize the tenacity of Native Americans and address the persistent inequalities they face.

Both Democrats and Republicans can start to show that they truly care for the survival of indigenous peoples by providing real aid.

The author is chief operating officer of the Center for Integrated and Holistic Studies, a New Delhi-based nonpartisan think tank. The opinions expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of News18.