ELCA Action Alert: Support the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools Act

Action AlertELCA AdvocacyCongressIndigenous & Tribal Relations
Written By Solveig Muus

With the reintroduction of the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools Act in Congress, take a moment to remind Congress of its responsibility to survivors of the Indian boarding school era.

The U.S. federal government has identified over 400 Indian boarding schools that operated from 1819 to 1969, nearly half of which were affiliated with or received support from a religious institution. “Residential or boarding schools inflicted trauma on Indigenous children that is still being felt today, generations later,” wrote the Rev. Wanda Frenchman, Interim Director, ELCA Indigenous Ministries & Tribal Relations.

Native American leaders have called on denominations to do the work of finding all records of their involvement. ELCA Truth-Seeking and Truth-Telling Initiative efforts began in earnest in fall 2022. We have a timely opportunity to urge the United States to do the same.

Although long-overdue, successful passage of H.R.7325 / S. 761 will bring together the U.S. government and communities of faith, center the healing and truth-telling of Indigenous communities and move our country towards accountability.

Today, remaining boarding school survivors are elders. We must honor these experiences and urge Congress to move our country one step closer to truth and healing by supporting this important legislation now.

The Arizona Spin: Truth and Healing Begin Close to Home

Indian boarding school history is Arizona history. In 2023, the U.S. Department of the Interior reported identifying 47 federal Indian boarding schools in Arizona. The Phoenix Indian School is part of that history—a reminder that policies separating Native children from their families, languages, and cultures were carried out in our own communities.

The ELCA’s action alert urges Congress to support the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools Act, identifying H.R. 7325 and S. 761. For Arizona, this call is deeply personal: survivors and descendants are our neighbors, and their experiences deserve to shape the work of truth-telling, accountability, and healing.

As Lutherans, we also have a responsibility to examine the church’s role. The ELCA’s Truth-Seeking and Truth-Telling Initiative is working to uncover its predecessor churches’ involvement in Indian boarding schools. Our faithful response begins with listening to Indigenous people, acknowledging harm, and supporting the steps they identify toward healing.

Here are three ways Arizona Lutherans can respond:

  • Contact Congress. Use the ELCA action alert to urge your U.S. representative and senators to support the legislation and advance it toward passage. Personalize your message by explaining why this history matters to you as an Arizona constituent and person of faith.

  • Learn locally. Visit the Heard Museum’s Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories exhibition in Phoenix, or use its educational resources for a congregational discussion.

  • Make listening an ongoing commitment. Build relationships with Indigenous-led ministries and organizations, follow their leadership, and support their priorities beyond a single event or observance.

We cannot undo this history. We can help ensure it is heard, documented, and met with action.


Take a moment to remind Congress of its responsibility to survivors of the Indian boarding school era.

Customize this message with your faith convictions and share your stories.

CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS

Find my members of Congress here.

Read the Action Alert in the ELCA Advocacy Action Center

Arizona Congressional Delegation

Solveig Muus
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