BACKGROUND

On March 15, 2021, Deb Haaland was confirmed to lead the Interior Department as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Her confirmation is "as symbolic as it is historic. For much of its history, the Interior Department was used as a tool of oppression against America's Indigenous peoples. In addition to managing the country's public lands, endangered species and natural resources, the department is also responsible for the government-to-government relations between the U.S. and Native American tribes" (npr.org).

As a 35th generation New Mexican, Secretary Haaland serves in a way that honors past and present generations while also being committed to protecting future generations. One of the Interior Department's stated priorities under Secretary Haaland's leadership is "Strengthening Indian Country." The Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative is one effort that has been launched to meet the goals of this objective. 

KEY RESOURCE

In this interview, Secretary Deb Haaland discusses the history of boarding schools in the U.S. and the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative that was announced in June 2021 as "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."

In a discussion with Vance Blackfox, Director for Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations with the ELCA, he explained the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the U.S. Act and how it would "provide an important avenue for an investigation about the losses that occurred through the Indian Boarding School Policies and the lasting consequences of the violence of this attempted genocide" (boardingschoolhealing.org/truthcommission).

One of the things Blackfox highlighted was the intentionality that went into naming the Truth and Healing Commission. "Truth" is the educational part of the equation which is key since you can't do the healing without the truth. However, the action word is "healing" according to Blackfox. Healing is actual work, and it's more than forgiveness and apologizing. "Healing" is the action part of this equation. If we aren't doing the work of healing, then we are not being healed. Healing work is ongoing, so Blackfox challenges us to consider how to do this work in a way that promotes long-term healing by helping future generations learn these truths from an earlier age.

Theological Reflections on Secretary Deb Haaland

As you review and reflect on Secretary Deb Haaland, we invite you to wrestle with these theological questions:

• In the United States, those in power have traditionally narrated our history. With new representation in positions of power, we get to hear and be guided by new stories. Consider the Biblical stories that center around God's people living in foreign lands under oppressive powers. How has the centering of the Israelites' experience shaped the Christian faith? How would it make a difference to the Christian faith if the Israelites' stories were shared, instead, from the perspective of the leaders of those foreign nations where the Israelites were reside? 
• Healing is central to the Christian faith and Biblical teachings. Why does the Truth & Healing Commission use the word healing, specifically? What does that open up that another word doesn’t?

On May 11, 2022, the first volume of the investigative report on the Federal Boarding School Initiative was released. In the opening letter of the report, Bryan Newland, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, describes this report as "only a first step to acknowledge the experiences of Federal Indian boarding school children." With the release of this report, the groundwork has been laid for the Interior Department's ongoing work to address the historical federal Indian boarding school policies.

We encourage you to review the report (linked below), especially the executive summary on pages 5-9 as well as pages 46-50 which specifically address the relationship between boarding schools and religious institutions.

"As part of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative and in response to recommendations from the report, Secretary Haaland has launched “The Road to Healing.” This year-long commitment to travel across the country will allow American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian survivors of the federal Indian boarding school system the opportunity to share their stories, help connect communities with trauma-informed support, and facilitate collection of a permanent oral history" (doi.gov).