Senate Committee Advances Native-Led Truth and Healing Commission to Probe Indian Boarding School Abuses

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 139.

Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Murkowski without amendment. With written report No. 119-54.

Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Introduced in Senate

Nominations open for Commission and key subcommittee/advisory committee members

Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiians, and related organizations can submit names to be considered for leadership roles that shape how testimony and records are handled.

Congressional leaders appoint the 5 Commission members

The Commission officially gets its decision-makers, which starts the clock for meetings, convenings, and later reports.

First Commission business meeting and selection of the Survivors Subcommittee and Native American Advisory Committee

Survivors and community representatives begin setting rules, deciding how testimony will be taken, and planning convenings around the country.

Survivors Truth and Healing Subcommittee holds its first meeting

Survivor and descendant representatives choose their leaders and start advising on safe, culturally appropriate ways to hear testimony.

Native American Truth and Healing Advisory Committee holds its first meeting

Tribal and Native Hawaiian representatives help guide what records to seek and how convenings should work.

Quarterly testimony schedule becomes mandatory

At least once each quarter, there must be a convening to take testimony each year, creating repeated chances for participation.

Initial public report is released

The public gets early findings and recommendations; communities can see what the Commission has learned so far.