The United Church of Christ celebrates the lives, joys, and legacies of our Indigenous siblings throughout the land. From the Penobscot and Mi’kmaq people in Maine, to our Native Hawaiian siblings in the Pacific, Indigenous people enrich our common life as one American nation.

Yet this nation has a sordid legacy of mistreatment of Indigenous peoples. The United Church of Christ’s predecessor bodies played a role in that mistreatment in a variety of ways, but particularly through their running of church-controlled Indian Boarding Schools, whose mission was to “kill the Indian and save the man” via conversion to Christianity and elimination of Indian cultural traditions. 

In 2023, General Synod passed a resolution calling for the United Church of Christ to investigate and make reparations for its historical complicity in indigenous boarding schools. As a church and a nation, we must acknowledge this dark history and express our regret. 

But acknowledgment must be coupled with action. 

That is why it is critical for UCC advocates to call on Congress to support passage of the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act (H.R.7325 /S.761). The legislation would establish a formal commission to investigate and document the history of Indian Boarding Schools, including their involvement in cultural erasure and other human rights violations. The commission would, among other things, hold public hearings for victims and survivors to share their trauma and the ongoing impact of these schools, and ultimately offer recommendations to the government for further action. 

Urge your members of Congress to support the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act today!