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President Biden arrives in Arizona to campaign, apologize for treatment of Native American students

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Updated  October 25, 2024 11:09am MST
Joe Biden
FOX 10 Phoenix

President Joe Biden arrives in Phoenix to campaign

President Biden is in Arizona to issue a historic apology to the local Native American community and help campaign for Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean has more.

The Brief

    • President Joe Biden is in Phoenix to campaign and issue a formal apology for the treatment of Native American students.
    • He is speaking at the Gila River Community on Friday morning.
    • The apology addresses a program that took 18,000 Indigenous children away from their families in an attempt to assimilate them to American culture. The program reportedly led to nearly 1,000 deaths.

PHOENIX - President Joe Biden's arrival in Phoenix marks a few firsts for the President and for our country. 

It's the first visit to Arizona for Biden since he announced he was not running for re-election in July. 

Some state leaders in attendance for President Biden's arrival watched as the president greeted tribal members.

Biden is speaking to the Gila River Community tomorrow morning, and he will be formally apologizing for the country's role in the abusive Native American boarding school system that took some 18,000 Indigenous children away from their families.

The system, which was in place for roughly 150 years and aimed to assimilate Native American kids, reportedly led to nearly 1,000 deaths. 

This will be the first time a U.S. President has apologized for the government's role, which some have called a form of genocide, but there is no word yet if any formal action will follow the apology.

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US President Joe Biden greets members of a Native American community upon arrival at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona on October 24, 2024. President Biden is expected to issue a formal apology for the federal government's Native American boarding schools during a visit to Arizona on October 25, 2024. Biden's message would be the first public apology from a sitting US president in response to a federal policy that wreaked havoc on tribal communities. ((Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images))

"I'm heading to do something that should have been done a long time ago to make a formal apology to the Indian nations for the way we treated their children for so many years, that's why I'm going, that's why I'm headed West," Biden said before his arrival.

"Many of our relatives, our family members had to endure I wouldn’t put it any other way, torturous situations," said Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis. "Being beaten for speaking their native language, systematically stripping their braids, their haircut, all of their culture regalia and so seeing an apology from the president, that not only shows that this in fact happened but that the US government is acknowledging."

Lewis added that the Biden-Harris administration has helped implement policy on native land and to indigenous people a voice.

"With the assistance of the White House we have the first in the Western Hemisphere we have solar panels over canals. We have been doing water efficiency and water conservation projects that this administration has supported as well so this shows that when tribes are at the table, they bring innovation," he added.

The visit was also to campaign and secure the vote of the Native American community in Arizona, one that has long been secured by the Democratic party.

Statement from Jaymie Parrish, Executive Director and Founder of Arizona Native Vote:

  • President Biden apologizing for 150-year Indian boarding school policy shows the power of Native voters and grassroots organizing. It raises an issue that is important to our community. The history is complicated. A lot of people have been traumatized because of assimilation policies. Too many families paid a high price, both in the U.S. and Canada, because family members were taken from their homes in the name of education, but assimilation was the goal. Now the President of the United States is here and talking about this painful story. That matters. Our Nation is taking a first step and looking at the truth of this country's history. The test is what happens next. It's one thing to make an apology, it’s also important to make it right. This story also shows the importance of representation. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and many others were our voice and took our issues to the White House. My message to our community members is to vote. It absolutely matters who’s elected and leading at all levels of government. Get involved and make your voice heard.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes also greeted the president, praising his commitment to the Native American people.

"You saw tribal leaders get off Air Force One from across the country and I thought that was deeply moving," said Mayes.

"Historically this is a big deal for a lot of our Indigenous communities who have felt left behind and I think underrepresented for quite some time," said Fontes.

The Democrats have been making an effort to reach out to Native American voters in this election. 

Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz visited the Gila River Indian Community a few weeks ago, and Walz is set to visit Window Rock in Navajo Nation on Saturday. 

In the 2020 election, some Native communities voted 90% for Biden, who went on to win Arizona by less than 11,000 votes.

Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan joined Biden on his trip to Arizona. 

If Harris and Walz win the election, Flanagan would assume the role of Minnesota's Governor and would be the first Native American woman to hold that title in US history.

The Source

  • Information for this story was provided by the Biden administration and published election results.