Governor Brian Sandoval issued a statement today apologizing for Nevada’s role in the conditions of Indian schools.
“Nevada Statehood was part of the decolonization of the United States. After almost half a century, I am so ashamed that my state was a founding partner with oppressive systems of separation and injustice,” the statement read.
According to the statement, Sandoval has been working since 2012 to form relationships with tribes in order to heal the state’s historical relationship with Indian education. He initiated meetings with tribal presidents and spoke to Congress about the effects of American Indian schools.
The statement goes on to mention that the government never extended education in the state to native children to help them become self-sufficient.
“While the nation, as a whole, has evolved, we had problems in our own state of Nevada — up to and including Gov. Sandoval’s own family — that have left scars that require constant, truthful and hopefully permanent healing,” the statement concluded.