This is a post in the Blog: Voices of Decolonization and focuses on a personal experience of canoeing in the river. It focuses on historical violence suffered by Indigenous children in Boarding Schools. In June 2022, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native person to serve in this role, announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. An April 1, 2022 deadline has been set for the Initiative to provide a report detailing what is known about burial sites at former boarding schools and the identities and Tribal affiliations of those who are buried there. In November, the Interior Department conducted three consultations with Tribal Nations, Alaska Native corporations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to gather input on how to protect sites and any remains that are discovered in this fact-finding effort.
