The legislation addresses practices that had adverse effects on American Indian and Alaska Native children who were removed from their tribal lands and families. Policies were conducted and led to the ...

They came from dozens of tribes under forced assimilation policies that were meant to erase Native American traditions and “civilize" the children so they would better fit into white society.

Congress formalized the U.S. program of forced assimilation when it passed a law in 1819 to give funding to religious organizations that would set up boarding schools for native children, explained ...