President Biden arrives to campaign and apologize for treatment of Native American students
Air Force One flies over Tempe as President Biden prepares to issue an apology to local tribal leaders.
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.
"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.
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.