Energy & Environment — Interior report finds 900 Native American children died at US boarding schools

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View Online Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story  900 kids died in federal boarding schools: Interior More than 900 Native American children died in federally operated boarding schools over a nearly 100-year period, the federal government said Tuesday.  © Eric Risberg, Associated Press A new report from the Bureau of Indian Affairs found that at least 973 children died attending the U.S.-operated schools.    The finding is based on years of interviews with survivors and their families and examinations of the records of more than 400 schools.    Between 1871 and 1969, the federal government appropriated the equivalent of $23.3 billion for the boarding school programs. Students at the schools were forced to cut their hair and punished for speaking tribal languages, part of a broader effort by the government to forcibly assimilate them.   Lieut. Richard Henry Pratt, founder of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pa., coined the m­­otto "kill the Indian, save the man" to summarize the schools' mission.   "The federal government – facilitated by the Department I lead – took deliberate and strategic actions through federal Indian boarding school policies to isolate children from their families, deny them their identities, and steal from them the languages, cultures and connections that are foundational to Native people," Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the U.S.'s first Native American cabinet secretary, said in a written statement.    Read more in a full report at TheHill.com. Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter, we're Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future: California's housing crisis could be raising risk of climate disasters, researchers fear The lack of affordable housing in California’s urban centers may be fueling increased development in adjacent wildlands — exacerbating the impacts of climate change, researchers fear.  Full Story Survey: 9 in 10 Americans support proposed worker heat protection rules The Biden administration's proposed rules for extreme heat protections for workers are broadly popular among Americans, according to polling from the left-leaning Data for Progress that was first shared with The Hill.  Full Story More flooding hits Vermont with washed-out roads, smashed vehicles and destroyed homes LYNDON, Vt. (AP) — Thunderstorms and torrential rain brought another wave of violent floods Tuesday that caved in roads, crushed vehicles, pushed homes off their foundations and led to dramatic boat rescues in northeastern Vermont, nearly three weeks after flooding from Hurricane Beryl.  Full Story In Other News  Branch out with a different read on The Hill: Charging California farmers for groundwater use could yield massive conservation gains, researchers find California farmers are willing to cut back on groundwater usage when their local governments start charging for this formerly free resource, new research has found. Historically, Golden State farmers … Full Story On Our Radar  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a meeting to consider the Manchin-Barrasso permitting bill The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will meet to consider several pieces of legislation on topics including heat illness and marine conservation   The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing on the environmental impacts of the chemical 6PPD, which is used to prevent tires from breaking down The Senate Budget Committee will hold a hearing on the future of electric vehicles The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on public transit What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: Climate crisis to blame for delay to triathlon, say Paris Olympic organizers (The Guardian)   Dolores River in Colorado is at center of latest public lands dispute (Axios Denver)   There's Something Funny Going on With Florida's Lead Pipe Numbers (The New Republic) What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Harris pulls even with Trump among swing state voters: Poll Vice President Harris has erased former President Trump's lead in seven key battleground states roughly a week after becoming the likely Democratic nominee. Read more Garland rips Cannon decision while defending special counsel appointment Attorney General Merrick Garland defended his appointment of special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday as the department appeals a ruling finding he was wrongly appointed, saying he wouldn’t make such a "basic mistake." Read more   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Energy & Environment page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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