Warning: The story below contains details of Indigenous boarding schools that may be distressing. The US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). At least 973 Indigenous children passed away while attending boarding schools supported by the United States government, as revealed in a federal report. This has sparked demands for an apology for the hardships endured at the abusive institutions. The report, issued recently and commissioned by US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, identified multiple marked and unmarked graves at over 65 US boarding schools established nationwide out of more than 400. While the report does not specify the exact causes of death for each child, it mentions that the fatalities resulted from illnesses, accidents, and abuse over a 150-year span ending in 1969. These schools were established with the aim of assimilating Indigenous children forcibly into white society, leading to generations of trauma experienced by families and communities even today. Children were often prohibited from using their native languages, separated from their siblings, and subjected to various forms of abuse. On Tuesday, Haaland, the first Indigenous individual to lead the US Department of the Interior, expressed that the investigation sought to offer an accurate portrayal of the events that transpired. The discovery of an increasing number of suspected grave sites in various countries has prompted calls for investigations and acknowledgment of the atrocities committed at these institutions. In Canada, a significant number of First Nation, Inuit, and Metis children were compelled to attend residential schools from the late 1800s to the 1990s, illustrating a pattern similar to that in the US. Statistics reveal that by 1926, nearly 83 percent of Indigenous children of school age were enrolled in these institutions, enforced by federal Indian boarding school policies. The findings of the latest report build upon discussions held across the US in the past few years, during which former students recounted the harsh treatment they endured while separated from their families. Officials affirm that the schools, alongside related assimilation programs, were financially supported by over $23 billion in inflation-adjusted federal expenditure, with funding even directed to religious and private entities involved in the efforts to "civilize" Indigenous students. The Interior Department has put forth several recommendations for the US government, including the issuance of a formal acknowledgment and apology for its role in enforcing national boarding school policies. Furthermore, they advocate for investments in solutions to mitigate the ongoing impacts of the system, the establishment of a national memorial to recognize all those affected, and the identification and repatriation of deceased children's remains from the schools. Online resources: [URL 1], [URL 2], [URL 3]