- Details
- By Levi Rickert
The Department of Interior’s year-long “Road to Healing Tour” will visit Arizona this week, with stops at the Gila River Indian Community near Phoenix this Friday and Navajo Nation at Many Farms on Sunday.
The tour is the second phase of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative that was launched in June 2021 by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo).
Haaland announced the Road the Healing Tour on May 11, 2022, in conjunction with the release of Volume 1 of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. The report, penned by Assistant Secretary of the Interior - Indian Affairs Bryan Newland (Bay Mills Indian Community), recommended connecting with Indigenous communities and hearing about their experiences in Indian boarding schools directly.
The stops along the tour allow for survivors and descendants of those who attended Indian boarding schools to come and tell their Indian boarding schools experiences.
To date, the Interior has brought the tour to Native American communities in Oklahoma, Michigan and South Dakota.
The Arizona events will allow Interior officials, including Haaland and Newland, to listen to testimonies and gather additional information about boarding schools in the southwestern United States. During the first hour, media will be allowed and then dismissed so that those who don’t want to make testimony with the press present may do so.
Make A Monthly Donation Here
The location of the Gila River Indian Community event will be at Gila Crossing Community School, 4665 West Pecos Road, Laveen, Arizona, on Friday, January 20, 2023 at 10 a.m. - Mountain Time.
The location of the Navajo Nation event will be at Many Farms High School, N Highway 191, Many Farms, Arizona, on Sunday, January 22, 2023 at 10 a.m. - Mountain Time.
Trauma-informed support will be available on-site during the Arizona events.
More Stories Like This
Sacred Mound Returned to Osage NationNavajo Nation Gets Land Into Trust Near Flagstaff
Nearly 150 Community Members Celebrate Running and Dance Medicine with the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project
Mattaponi Indian Tribe Files for Federal Recognition
Honoring Heritage in Uniform: Native American Soldier Granted Religious Accommodation to Grow Hair, Embrace Lakota Identity
Support Independent Indigenous Journalism That Holds Power to Account
With the election now decided, Native News Online is recommitting to our core mission: rigorous oversight of federal Indian policy and its impact on tribal communities.
The previous Trump administration’s record on Indian Country — from the reduction of sacred sites to aggressive energy development on tribal lands — demands heightened vigilance as we enter this new term. Our Indigenous-centered newsroom will provide unflinching coverage of policies affecting tribal sovereignty, sacred site protection, MMIR issues, water rights, Indian health, and economic sovereignty.
This critical watchdog journalism requires resources. Your support, in any amount, helps maintain our independent, Native-serving news coverage. Every contribution helps keep our news free for all of our relatives. Please donate today to ensure Native News Online can thrive and deliver impactful, independent journalism.
