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Statement from IHS Director Roselyn Tso on the Department of the Interior's Report on the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative
The Indian Health Service acknowledges the findings released by the Department of the Interior’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. With the release of the report, the IHS continues to recognize the physical, mental, and spiritual trauma experienced by generations of Native children, families, and descendants as a result of their exposure to the federal boarding school system.
As the nation’s 17th largest health care system, the IHS has been an active participant in the recent Road to Healing events, helping provide trauma-informed mental health providers or traditional healers onsite for individuals experiencing secondary trauma from telling their experiences with the federal Indian boarding school policy, often for the first time.
The IHS has also partnered with the University of New Mexico to create several mandatory training sessions on historical trauma and trauma-informed care for IHS employees, contractors, and volunteers. These training sessions not only emphasize the physical, psychological, and emotional safety of both patients and providers, but also help ensure all trauma survivors can safely rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.
As we progress on this journey towards healing, the IHS will continue to engage with the DOI to coordinate trauma-informed, survivor-centered support to survivors and their families.
