Community Announcement Supplied and approved by an external entity; not impartial, fact-checked journalism.
Road to Healing tour begins
Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov
*UPDATED ADVISORY*Recognizing the enthusiasm of this announcement, the information in this advisory is now reportable. The contact information has also been updated.
Secretary Haaland, Assistant Secretary Newland to Visit Oklahoma on “Road to Healing” to Meet with Federal Indian Boarding School Survivors and Descendants
WASHINGTON — On July 9, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland will visit Oklahoma on the first stop on “The Road to Healing,” a year-long tour across the country to provide Native survivors of the federal Indian boarding school system and their descendants an opportunity to share their experiences.
In June 2021, Secretary Haaland launched the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to shed light on the troubled history of Federal Indian boarding school policies and their legacy for Indigenous Peoples. Last month, the Department released Volume 1 of an investigative report as part of the Initiative, which calls for connecting communities with trauma-informed support and facilitating the collection of a permanent oral history. Trauma-informed support will be available on-site during the Oklahoma event, which will be memorialized as part of the effort to capture first-person stories.
Only the first hour of the event will be open to credentialed members of the media to allow space for the wishes of participants. A transcript will be available in the weeks following the visit.
In addition to visiting Oklahoma, Secretary Haaland will travel to Hawaii, Michigan, Arizona and South Dakota as part of “The Road to Healing” in 2022. Additional states will be announced for 2023.
WHAT: Meeting with survivors and descendants of the federal Indian boarding school system as part of “The Road to Healing”
WHEN: July 9, 2022, at 10:00 AM CT
WHERE: Caddo County, Oklahoma
RSVP: Credentialed members of the media interested in attending must RSVP to Giovanni_Rocco@ios.doi.gov by 6:00 PM CT on July 7. Additional information will be sent upon RSVP confirmation.
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The Department of the Interior (DOI) conserves and manages the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people, provides scientific and other information about natural resources and natural hazards to address societal challenges and create opportunities for the American people, and honors the Nation’s trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities to help them prosper.