The Episcopal Church is entering a new phase of reckoning with its historic complicity in the federal Indigenous boarding school system, as two church committees that had been examining that history have merged into the new Truth, Justice and Healing Commission on Native Schools.
The consolidated commission was formed at a meeting in early November in Phoenix, Arizona, by consensus of the two bodies, one created by General Convention and the other by Executive Council. The two already had been coordinating their schedules. Now, as a unified body, members are planning the next steps in what has been a multiyear effort with significant churchwide support.
Starting in 2026, the commission will prioritize connecting with tribal leaders and tribal historic preservation officers, “to gain their guidance on how these different phases of work need to be conducted,” Leora Tadgerson, co-chair of the new commission and a member of the Bay Mills Indian Community, told Episcopal News Service by email. “We understand that each community may have their own individual process, and we are dedicated to honoring each.” To read more, click here
