WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, in recognition of the September 30 National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding School survivors, Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to honor the Native children, families, survivors, and descendants impacted by the Indian boarding school system.
September 30 is a day to remember the children who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, honor the survivors and relatives who continue to carry this history, and recognize the enduring impacts of Indian boarding school policies on Native peoples and Tribal communities.
In remarks on the House floor, Rep. Leger Fernández highlighted the importance of recognizing the National Day of Remembrance and the responsibility to continue pursuing truth, justice, and healing for those impacted by the federal Indian boarding school system.
“Across New Mexico, there were 52 Indian boarding schools where Native children were forced to relinquish their own indigenous heritage and language. I call upon my colleagues to support HR 7325 the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act to formally investigate, document, and report on boarding schools, their policies, and the generational effects on Native American peoples. We must support the healing of survivors, descendants, and tribal communities. Many of the children never returned home to their families or their communities. May they never be forgotten.”
— Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, New Mexico - District 3
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) welcomes this recognition and emphasizes that remembrance must be accompanied by meaningful action.
For generations, Native families and communities have carried the consequences of a federal system that forcibly separated children from their families, communities, languages, cultures, and identities.
“September 30 is a day to remember our relatives and honor the survivors, families, and communities who have carried this history for generations,” said NABS Chief Executive Officer, Nikki Santos (Coeur d'Alene Tribe). “Remembrance gives us an opportunity to honor their lives, listen to their stories, and recommit ourselves to the work of truth and healing. We are grateful to see this history recognized on the House floor, and we must continue turning recognition into meaningful action for survivors, descendants, and Tribal communities.”
NABS encourages members of Congress to support , as an important step toward advancing truth, justice, and healing.
Take Action
As September 30 approaches, NABS invites individuals, families, Tribal communities, organizations, educators, and allies to join in remembering and honoring Indian boarding school relatives.
There are many ways to participate, including learning about the history and ongoing impacts of Indian boarding school policies, creating space for remembrance, sharing resources with your community, and supporting efforts led by survivors, descendants, and Tribal communities. Visit the to help educate, commemorate, and engage your communities on September 30 and beyond.
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About the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition: The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) is dedicated to advocating for Native peoples impacted by U.S. Indian boarding schools. NABS seeks truth through education and research, justice through activism and policy advocacy, and healing through programs and traditional gatherings, .
Join Us for a Series of Events Spotlighting
Monday, November 3
7 to 8 pm
The artist discusses her artwork Remnant (Walrus Bone IV)
and her mixed media practice.
Tekcno Powwow Jr.2: To the Second Power
Rescheduled to !
Thursday, November 6
5 to 8 pm
Visit the event page for all the details about Bently Spang's cultural mash-up!
Thursday, November 13
6 to 8 pm
Explore the landscape of Indigenous art through the perspectives
and experiences of esteemed curators:
Candice Hopkins (Carcross/Tagish First Nation), Forge Project
Jami Powell (Citizen of the Osage Nation), Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth
Lara Evans (Cherokee Nation), First People's Fund
:
Wednesday, November 19
7 to 8:30 pm
The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet gives a public reading,
followed by a Q&A, book signing, and reception.
November 23 | 23 de noviembre
1 to 3 pm
Celebrate the intersectionality of Latine and Indigenous cultures
while exploring and creating.
Celebre la interseccionalidad de las culturas latinas e indígenas
mientras explora y crea.
Save the Date!
Thursday, December 4
5 to 8 pm
Join us for a musical performance by Ortman,
whose 2017 video My Soul Remainer is on view in Indigenous Identities.
Programs Are Free & Open to the Public
Visit for Details
Read, watch, listen, and learn more about Indigenous histories in the region now known as New Jersey and beyond.
Sharing the Continuing Story
This notice officially advises the public of the commission newsletter. If you or someone you know would like to share an event with the community on our next issue, feel free to write in to Lewis Fragoso at lewis.fragoso@sos.nj.gov.
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, we present this short movie from the New Jersey Conservation Foundation about the perils to our planet and the rematriation of lands to local indigenous people.
"In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act. This short movie from the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, a work of art by Sourland Studios, beautifully captures this inspiring message of the perils of our planet and the significance of the rematriation movement. It is an inspiring story of the partnership that led to the Cohanzick Nature Reserve. The rematriation of lands to local Indigenous people, a significant pillar of the rematriation movement, is crucial for protecting our cultural heritage, preserving traditional knowledge, and fostering environmental sacred symbiosis rooted in centuries-old practices. The rematriation of the Cohanzick Nature Reserve marks a significant step in a nationwide movement, and how our collaborative efforts by the Native American Advancement Corporation (NAAC), New Jersey Conservation Foundation, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Green Acres Program, and The Nature Conservancy, can heal historical injustices. Acquired in August 2023, this 63-acre forested property in New Jersey returns to the Cohanzick Lenape people, the land's original inhabitants. This initiative honors our enduring connection to the land. It sets a precedent for similar efforts across the country, highlighting the importance of such partnerships in promoting social justice and sacred environmental symbiosis. We at NAAC will be forever grateful for these partnerships, the gift from the Creator, and the promise we keep for those of the next seven generations."
Info is from the NJ Historical Commission: History Resources/Audience Development // New Jersey Indigenous Voices Speaker Series found on this page: /state/historical/his-resources.shtml
Language:
New Jersey’s Indigenous Voices Speaker Series
The NJ Historical Commission is hosting a series of virtual programs to facilitate a deeper and more complex public understanding of Indigenous history and life in New Jersey and beyond the state’s colonized borders. This series was made possible with support from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and developed in partnership with the New Jersey Commission on American Indian Affairs. Please see below links to past recordings and resources:
Sharing the Continuing Story of Indigenous Peoples in New Jersey
Sharing the Continuing Story of Indigenous Peoples in New Jersey Resources List
Exploring Indigeneity: Native Identity and Expression
Native American Mascots: Creating Change in New Jersey
Ms.Garland, of Neptune, New Jersey is a long-time champion of New Jersey’s Native American heritage. A member of the Sand Hill Band of Lenape, she is a tireless advocate for her people and for Native American history and rights generally. A lifelong educator, Claire taught for 36 years in the Tinton Falls School District. She received her BS in Education from Monmouth College (now Monmouth University) and her Master in the Sociological and Philosophical Foundations of Education from Rutgers University. A lifelong educator, Claire’s teaching has not been limited to the classroom but includes regular presentations to schools and community groups where she has shared the stories of her ancestors, New Jersey’s first inhabitants. She has researched and written about the life and times of Cherokee Indian Ike of Monmouth, developed a CD, website, and Facebook page on the Sand Hill Indians, consulted on museum exhibits, and presented on NJNTV. She has lectured across the state on the Lenape people and is the recognized expert on the Sand Hill Band. Her presentation “American Indian Culture Surrounds Us” has enlightened generations of New Jerseyans regarding our state’s rich Native American heritage. Claire is also a member of the New Jersey Council on American Indian Afairs where she serves with diligence and distinction. In honor of her tireless work to educate the public on New Jersey’s Native Americans, past and present, she is presented an award of the NJ Historical Commission.
By Cathleen D. Cahill and Sarah Deer
The Indigenous suffragist Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, also known as Zitkala-Sa, a citizen of the Yankton Sioux Tribe. After the ratification of the 19th Amendment, she reminded the rejoicing, newly enfranchised white women that the fight was not over.
Credit...National Museum of American History
The Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, (IEED) is soliciting proposals through its (NABDI) for technical assistance funding to hire consultants to perform feasibility studies of economic development opportunities, including tourism development.
The program will provide technical assistance with locally-led conservation and outdoor recreation project. This is a great way to receive trail planning, concept designs, facilitation, signage, programming, partnership outreach and community engagement.
By Chip Colwell
Dr. Colwell is an anthropologist and museum curator in Denver.
University of Northern Colorado maintenance crew workers guide a 600-pound bear totem pole top into a crate to be shipped back to the Tlingit Nation in Angoon, Alaska, where the totem originally stood and disappeared in 1908. - CreditCreditGlenn Asakawa/The Denver Post, via Getty Images
“In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”
Iroquois statement