Apology part of larger effort towards healing and reconciliation
At least 122 priests, sisters, and brothers accused of sexually abusing Native American children under their care since the 1890s
At least 500 Catholic-run boarding schools operated or funded between 1819 and 1969, tens of thousands of Native American children forced or coerced into attendance
Catholic Church issued formal apology on June 14, 2024 for role in inflicting trauma on Indigenous communities through boarding schools
More than a thousand children believed to have died at these schools
The US Catholic Bishops issued a formal apology on June 14, 2024, acknowledging the role of the Catholic Church in inflicting trauma and mistreatment upon Indigenous communities through its operation of boarding schools. The document titled 'Keeping Christ's Sacred Promise: A Pastoral Framework for Indigenous Ministry' was approved by a vote during the annual spring meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. The apology comes as part of an effort to promote healing and reconciliation with Native American communities and set up listening sessions.
The Catholic Church operated or funded at least 500 boarding schools across the United States between 1819 and 1969, during which tens of thousands of Native American children were forced or coerced into attendance. More than a thousand children are believed to have died at these schools.
At least 122 priests, sisters, and brothers were assigned to Catholic-run boarding schools since the 1890s who were later accused of sexually abusing Native American children under their care. The majority of documented cases occurred in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest including Alaska.
The apology is a significant step towards acknowledging and addressing the historical trauma inflicted upon Indigenous communities by the Catholic Church. However, it is important to note that this is only one part of a larger effort towards healing and reconciliation.
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a formal apology for the church’s role in the mistreatment and trauma experienced by Native Americans, particularly in church-operating boarding schools.
Hundreds of thousands of Native children were removed from their families and sent to boarding schools where they often faced abuse, neglect and hard labor. Of the more than 500 Native boarding schools set up across the country, 87 were Catholic-run.
Accuracy
Hundreds of thousands of Native children were removed from their families and sent to boarding schools where they often faced abuse, neglect and hard labor.
Of the more than 500 Native boarding schools set up across the country, 87 were Catholic-run.
Native families suffered from broken homes due to assimilation attempts in boarding schools which led to addiction, domestic abuse, abandonment and neglect.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains a few instances of appeals to authority and inflammatory rhetoric. It also uses a dichotomous depiction in describing the Native American boarding schools as forcibly assimilating children into American culture.
. . . the church’s role in operating schools where Native American children faced abuses and forced assimilation.
Starting in the 19th century, hundreds of thousands of Native children were removed from their families and sent to the schools, where they often faced abuse, neglect and hard labor.
The family systems of many Indigenous Peoples never fully recovered from these tragedies [...] often led to broken homes harmed by addiction, domestic abuse, abandonment, and neglect.
U.S. Catholic bishops apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in fostering ‘a history of trauma’ on Indigenous children at church-run boarding schools.
The document ‘Keeping Christ’s Sacred Promise: A Pastoral Framework for Indigenous Ministry’ was approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as part of the apology.
Accuracy
]The document 'Keeping Christ's Sacred Promise: A Pastoral Framework for Indigenous Ministry' was approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as part of the apology.[
Indigenous children at the U.S.’s 408 federal Indian boarding schools suffered whippings, sexual abuse, forced labor and severe malnourishment between 1819 and 1969.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
No ad hominem attacks or appeals to authority were found. There are no clear dichotomous depictions. However, there is an example of a sweeping generalization and potential oversimplification.
The Catholic Church was one of many groups that took part in the boarding school system.
US Catholic Bishops issued a formal apology to Indigenous people for the mistreatment and trauma inflicted by the Catholic Church
Apology is part of a document titled ‘Keeping Christ’s Sacred Promise: A Pastoral Framework for Indigenous Ministry'
Document discusses church’s role in boarding schools that forced assimilation in the 19th and 20th centuries
New policies for ministering to Indigenous Catholics include promoting healing and reconciliation with Native American communities and setting up listening sessions
Accuracy
Native Americans comprise approximately 3.5% of Catholics in the United States
At least 122 priests, sisters and brothers were assigned to Catholic-run boarding schools since the 1890s who were later accused of sexually abusing Native American children under their care.
More than 1,000 children, mostly in the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest including Alaska, were sexually abused in the majority of which were run or funded by the U.S. government.
Of more than 500 schools, 84 were operated by the Catholic Church or its religious affiliates.
Tens of thousands of Native American children were forced or coerced to attend boarding schools from 1819 until 1969 and at least 500 children are believed to have died at these schools.
Accuracy
Indigenous Pastoral Framework document highlights church’s role in Indian boarding schools created to eradicate Native American cultures where children were removed from their families, stripped of their names, beaten for speaking their languages and forced or coerced attendance.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(95%)
The authors express regret for the church's role in inflicting trauma on Native Americans and specifically mention the pervasive sexual abuse by priests at Indian boarding schools. However, they do not directly accuse or demonize any specific group or ideology. They also acknowledge that it is a complex issue with long-lasting impacts and call for more accountability from the Catholic Church.
For more than 100 years, children were removed from their families, stripped of their names and often beaten for speaking their languages. Of more than 500 schools, 84 were operated by the Catholic Church or its religious affiliates.
]The church recognizes that it has played a part in traumas experienced by Native children.[
The family systems of many Indigenous people never fully recovered from these tragedies, which often led to broken homes harmed by addiction, domestic abuse, abandonment and neglect.
Ruth Buffalo, president of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, says the document is only a start and does not directly mention sexual abuse, missing children, or other actions that could be considered genocide.
Accuracy
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved a document that acknowledges the church’s role in Native American boarding schools and apologizes to Indigenous Catholics.
Hundreds of thousands of Native children were removed from their families and sent to boarding schools where they often faced abuse, neglect and hard labor.
Of the more than 500 Native boarding schools set up across the country, 87 were Catholic-run.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(80%)
The authors make an appeal to authority by quoting Ruth Buffalo, the president of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. They also use inflammatory rhetoric by describing the experiences in boarding schools as 'rampant physical, sexual and emotional abuse; disease; malnourishment; overcrowding; and lack of health care.' However, they do not directly commit any formal fallacies or dichotomous depictions.
The document recognizes that the church has played a role in the trauma – the ongoing trauma – that our Native children have experienced, but it does not directly mention the sexual abuse, the missing children and the abuse that could otherwise be known as genocide that took place from these policies.
There’s a lot of pain. And again, what I’m hearing directly from tribal leaders, tribal sovereigns, is that it’s a step in the right direction, but more dialogue needs to happen.
Bias
(95%)
The authors do not directly mention the bias in their reporting, but they do express frustration with the media for not covering this issue sooner and for not directly addressing the sexual abuse and genocide that took place in Native American boarding schools. They also call for more dialogue and action from the church to rectify these wrongs.
But it also calls into question, why hasn’t media covered this since day one? You know, when media has known full well of these atrocities that have continued to occur against the first peoples of these lands? We continue to be at the bottom of the barrel in our own lands. This ongoing abuse is there and the remnants are still felt to this day.[
Further dialogue is definitely needed and not sidestepping the horrible, horrific acts – and not to mention, you know, and not to forget that we still have missing children who are unaccounted for.
]The document, while it recognizes that the church has played a role in the trauma – the ongoing trauma – that our Native children have experienced, they do not directly mention the sexual abuse, the missing children and the abuse that could otherwise be known as genocide that took place from these policies.[
