Assistant Secretary of the Interior sees move toward honesty as path to more equitable opportunity for Native Americans

A first-of-its-kind investigation into the abuse of Native American 美国青年协会.S. government could help serve as a building block for creating a better, more equitable future for native communities moving forward.

 That was one of the conclusions shared by 布莱恩·纽兰, assistant secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, when he visited Grand 十月谷. 27 to share updates on issues facing Indigenous youth 在教育.

Newland’s presentation focused on the past, present and future of schooling for Indigenous communities, spanning the creation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1860 to the publication of the landmark Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report in May of 2022. 

“This (report) is the first time the United States Federal Government has held itself to account with honesty about what these schools were, and why they were put into place,” Newland said. 

Newland is from the Bay Mills Indian Community (Ojibwe) near Sault Ste. Marie, where he recently completed his tenure as tribal 总统. Prior to that, Newland served as chief judge of the Bay 米尔斯部落法庭. 

The event, hosted by the GVSU Office of Multicultural affairs, was 由林·巴德威尔协助 & 李维·里克特致开幕词 by 杰西·伯纳尔, chief of staff to the 总统 and vice 总统 包容与公平. Grand Valley’s Native American Advisory Council, created with the intention of supporting, elevating and advocating for Native American perspectives at Grand Valley and the first council of its kind in Michigan, was also present.

“Today’s program is just another example of our university trying to create a shared experience to deepen our learning,” Bernal said in his 介绍. “But importantly, it’s also an opportunity for us to commit to doing more to elevate the voices of our Indigenous community 和印第安人社区.”

The Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report identifies 408 Indian boarding schools and at least 53 marked and unmarked burial 学校内或学校附近的地点. 它概述了强制同化 Indigenous children experienced at the boarding schools. 

Newland also emphasized the importance of investing in Native 美国部落. Through the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration has invested $45 billion into Indian Country over the past 18 months, with the Bureau of Indian Affairs having record 还有资金.

However, Newland knows that his work is far from over, noting that he will be defending the Indian Child Welfare Act in front of the U.S. 将在两周内被最高法院驳回.

When asked what is being done to ensure that Native American students and children are not being left behind, Newland noted the importance of funding health care, internet access, housing, HVAC systems and access to clean water in tribal communities. 

Despite hurdles faced, Newland said he is optimistic regarding the 他工作的未来. “We’re not all the way there, we’re not even a little bit of the way there, we’re just 开始. 但我们 开始.” 

As a Michigan native, Newland closed with a word of advice for the 教室里的学生和年轻人. “我有过这样的机会 travel with the first lady (Jill Biden) and have meetings at the White House, and I’m from Bay Mills I’ve had wonderful parents, a wonderful wife and family, my community, Bay Mills, invested a lot of love and attention in me along the way This community makes things possible. I’m here because a lot of people lifted me up. 在座的各位 今晚，你们都有自己的人. 确保你在表示感谢 them for doing the lifting, and that you’re taking the turn lifting 他们也起来了.”