JOHN,

For this Native American Heritage Month, I joined my colleagues in Congress to honor the rich traditions, culture, and history of Indigenous people who have endured centuries of oppression with unwavering resilience. Their contributions to our communities are immeasurable, including Natives’ ongoing fight for justice and sovereignty.

I’m committed to protecting Native rights, including supporting policies like the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act, which my Native colleague Rep. Sharice Davids introduced. This legislation would establish a Federal Commission to investigate the histories and impacts of federal policies that forcibly removed Native children from their homes as part of cultural genocide and coercive assimilation. As Sharice explained:

“My grandparents are survivors of Indian boarding schools, but many other children never returned to their families or their communities. Those that did lost generations worth of cultural knowledge, stories, and traditions. Establishing a Truth and Healing Commission would bring survivors, experts, federal partners, and Tribal leaders to the table to fully investigate what happened to our relatives and work towards a brighter path for the next seven generations.”

I’m proud to be among 80 co-sponsors of the bill, which has bipartisan support and could actually pass in this session of Congress before the end of the year.

Will you sign on today to show your support for the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act?

Thank you for taking action to honor the people who are Indigenous to this land.

In solidarity,

Rashida