Apology and Remembrance
The Faith & Politics Institute and the National Congress of American Indians, along with representatives of six Native American nations, held a two-day event at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC May 18-19 to honor ancestors buried there and to apologize on behalf of the federal government for past wrongdoing. Volunteers cleaned and restored some of the 36 graves of Native Americans, many of whom died in the capital while representing their people’s claims before the government. A joint congressional Resolution of Apology to Native Peoples of the United States, signed last year by President Obama, was read and groups toured the cemetery grounds as tribal representatives recounted the lives of their forebears. Produced by Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly production assistant and researcher Fabio Lomelino.
