By Isaac White
In an unprecedented move towards reconciliation and healing, the Alaskan branch of the Quakers, a religious group historically involved in the forced assimilation of Native youth across the United States, has made a significant gesture of restitution to the Indigenous community of Kake, Southeast Alaska. On January 19, members of this group personally delivered a check for $93,000, accompanied by a heartfelt four-page apology, to the Organized Village of Kake, a community deeply scarred by the legacy of a Quaker-run mission school that operated from 1891 to 1912.
The Alaska Friends Conference (AFC), a small but dedicated group within the Friends General Conference, is predominantly composed of White members who are keenly aware of their organization’s historical role in the assimilation policies. Their ongoing efforts to atone for past injustices are part of a broader movement towards reconciliation and healing.
The Quakers, formally known as the Religious Society of Friends, were instrumental in the federal government’s efforts from 1819 through 1970 to eradicate Native culture, language, and traditions through a nationwide network of over 500 boarding schools. In Alaska those institutions existed, with the Quakers directly managing schools across the country. The school in Kake is a stark reminder of this painful chapter in American history, where the goal was to ‘civilize’ Native children by stripping away their identity and heritage.
Joel Jackson, the tribal president of the roughly 500-person village of Kake highlighted the profound impact of the reparations. The funds are earmarked for the creation of a tribal healing center, a beacon of hope intended to mend the deep-seated trauma inflicted on Alaska Native people. The legacy of these schools, as Jackson poignantly recalled, has manifested in devastating social issues within the community, including alcoholism, substance abuse, and a suicide crisis that peaked in the late 1980s with 15 suicides.
The group acknowledged that the treatment on the Native people affected by the Quakers of past years was varied:
“We apologize that Friends also banned dancing, teaching that it was evil and creating repercussions across generations. To lose dancing is to lose an important way to celebrate, communicate, share stories, and a deeply spiritual way of life. For the dances and traditions lost, we sincerely apologize.”
Acknowledging the “direct harms” and the “personal, cumulative, and ongoing” impact of colonization, the Quaker’s apology resonates with a community in dire need of healing. The proposed tribal healing center, which will occupy a leased abandoned U.S. Forest Service building, symbolizes a critical step towards addressing the intergenerational trauma. With plans to open by late summer, the center will provide programs rooted in Native values and traditions, catering to 16 individuals at a time.
The group also took time in the apology to let people know their faith and conduct in the past isn’t a true representation of who they intend to be:
“At the core of our Quaker faith is non-violence, founded on a recognition of that of God in every human being. The forcible separation of families, broken bonds of language, and attacks which undermined culture and traditions, endorsed and pursued by people identifying as Quakers, means that Friends actively denied and failed to see your full humanity.
We are aware that the direct harms caused by our failure remain personal, cumulative, and ongoing.
We will do more than simply acknowledge the harm we have caused. We pledge to teach ourselves and our children about this wrong. We will formally and collectively ask ourselves what wrongs we may still be perpetrating in ignorance or bigotry, and hold ourselves accountable. We believe there should be reparations and restitution for the harms from the Boarding School system. We will actively identify reparations we can make while also advocating for them in broader society. Alaska Friends Conference endorses the formation of a federal Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies and will continue to support Alaska Native rights, self-determination, and sovereignty.”
The Alaska Friends, the state’s Quaker group, remains committed to supporting the healing process, not only through financial reparations but also by fostering understanding and collaboration. They have pledged to sponsor five young adults to lobby in Washington D.C. for the establishment of a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools Policy Act. This legislative effort aims to hold the federal government accountable for its role in the boarding school policies, with recommendations for protecting unmarked graves, supporting repatriation, and addressing modern-day child removal policies.
The commission, if established, would mark a significant advancement in uncovering the truth and facilitating healing, endowed with the power to subpoena records from private entities and government agencies. This capability is critical for tracing the fates of children who attended these schools, identifying their tribal affiliations, and locating unmarked graves.
As the community of Kake looks towards the future, the prospect of a healing center offers a tangible means of confronting and healing from the scars of the past. The reparations and apology from the Quakers serve as a significant, albeit initial, step in acknowledging the injustices perpetrated against Alaska Native communities. The path towards healing is long and complex, but with initiatives like these, there is hope for restoring lost identities and rebuilding stronger, more resilient communities.
The Friends also made clear the responsibility for their transformation is theirs and that none of their personal journey falls upon the Native people to fix it for them:
“It is not the responsibility of Alaska Native people to help us to transform our behavior. At the same time, we see that our acting without first listening has contributed to great harm. We seek your guidance and input to ensure reparations are done on your terms that will help your communities heal. We ask for forgiveness and pledge to walk beside you as we work together for healing and transformation.”
The story of Kake, and the gesture of the Quakers, underscores the importance of confronting our collective history to move forward. It serves as a poignant reminder of the power of apology, the necessity of reparations, and the enduring strength of communities in the face of adversity. As we reflect on this chapter of American history, the efforts in Kake illuminate the potential for healing, reconciliation, and ultimately, a more just and equitable society.