After almost two years of stonewalling by Chemawa Indian School officials and the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Reps. Kurt Schrader and Suzanne Bonamici say reform appears to be coming after visiting the Salem school this past week.
The Oregon Democrats were “pleasantly surprised” by apparent progress and expect more clarity about conflicting federal agencies’ roles, removal of a gag order on school staff and a better system for hiring teachers, among other things, in the near future.
The representatives have been pushing for change since before 2017, when an investigative series by Oregon Public Broadcasting highlighted allegations of fraud, mismanagement, lack of transparency and abuse at the Native American boarding school.
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Natalie Pate 