Elizabeth Warren writes:

In 2003, the United States Commission on Civil Rights released a report on the state of federal support for Indian Country. The report detailed the chronic failure of the federal government to provide the resources necessary to fulfill its promises to Native Americans, and noted that, as a result, “Native Americans continue to rank at or near the bottom of nearly every social, health, and economic indicator.”

In December of last year, the Civil Rights Commission released a follow-up report to examine what progress had been made in the 15 years since the initial report. The new report, titled Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans, concluded that subsequent federal efforts had resulted in “only minor improvements, at best, for the Native population as a whole,” and that “in some respects, the U.S. Government has backslid in its treatment of Native Americans.” This utter lack of improvement is appalling — but to Native and indigenous peoples, it is not surprising.

The story of America’s mistreatment of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians is a long and painful one, rooted in centuries of discrimination, neglect, greed, and violence. Tribal Nations robbed of more than a billion acres of land. Resources seized and sacred sites desecrated. Native languages and religions suppressed. Children literally stolen from communities in an effort to eradicate entire cultures. Native history is American history — and we must be honest about our government’s responsibility in perpetuating these injustices for centuries. [Continue reading…]