Trump’s Funding Cuts Silence Truths of Indigenous Children’s Suffering in U.S. Boarding Schools

Under the Trump administration, significant cuts have been made to federal funding aimed at documenting the horrific abuses suffered by Indigenous children in U.S. boarding schools. Over $1.6 million earmarked for important research and digitization projects have been eliminated, impeding critical work to preserve the painful history of these institutions where systemic abuse was rampant. These slashes notably undermine efforts sparked by previous administrations to illuminate and apologize for this dark chapter in American history.

One victim of these funding cuts is the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, which lost more than $282,000. This funding was essential for the coalition to continue its work on a database that allowed Native Americans to reconnect with their past and locate family members who suffered in these schools, which operated for over a century. Deborah Parker, the coalition’s CEO, emphasized that the truth about America’s history must be confronted, especially when promoting a narrative like “Make America Great Again.”

Indigenous children were forcibly taken from their families and sent to these boarding schools, stripped of their languages and cultures, and subjected to brutal treatment. According to investigations, at least 973 children died in these institutions, and many others suffered extreme trauma. Efforts to investigate this legacy were only undertaken by the Biden administration, which recognized the need for accountability and healing, culminating in a formal apology issued by the President himself.

The recent funding cuts highlight Trump’s ongoing campaign to obscure aspects of American history that contradict his narrative. Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland criticized these moves as part of a pattern to suppress stories of Indigenous peoples. While the cuts may attempt to stifle the painful but necessary dialogue surrounding these issues, they cannot erase the commitment to truth and healing already undertaken by the Indigenous community.

Alaska Native organizations and other groups have also felt the impact, with important oral history projects being canceled as a direct result of these budget cuts. Bryan Newland, former Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, lamented that the cuts are insignificant in the context of federal budgeting but have devastating ramifications for truth-telling and reconciliation. With over half of awarded grants subsequently terminated, the erasure of Indigenous stories and experiences from the national narrative continues, revealing the ongoing threat posed by policies rooted in denial and suppression.