Probe into Native American schools' dark past

Scope covers 'unspoken traumas' from abuses going back generations

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma－The US government will investigate its past oversight of Native American boarding schools to "uncover the truth about the loss of human life and the lasting consequences" of policies that broke up families, US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said on Tuesday.

The unprecedented work will include compiling and reviewing records to identify past boarding schools, locate known and possible burial sites at or near those schools, and uncover the names and tribal affiliations of students, Haaland said.

"To address the intergenerational impact of Indian boarding schools and to promote spiritual and emotional healing in our communities, we must shed light on the unspoken traumas of the past no matter how hard it will be," she said.