Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill creates a national commission to investigate the history of government-funded boarding schools that Native American children were forced to attend. For decades, these schools tried to erase Native cultures and languages, often through physical and emotional abuse.
• A group of survivors, experts, and tribal leaders will spend six years documenting what happened at these schools. They will listen to stories from survivors and their families to create a permanent record of the harm caused by these policies.
• The commission will work to find and identify burial sites where children who died at these schools were buried. They will help families and tribes locate their missing relatives and coordinate how to properly honor or return their remains.
• The government will provide $90 million to fund this work, which includes providing mental health support and specialized care for people sharing their painful experiences during the investigation.
• The final goal is to give the President and Congress a list of recommendations on how the government can take responsibility and help Native communities heal from these long-term effects.