California tribe says U.S. stole Billions: $23.3B used to fund abuse of Native children

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – Two tribal nations filed a federal lawsuit Thursday, accusing the U.S. government of misappropriating billions of dollars held in trust for Native American tribes to fund boarding schools where generations of Native children endured systemic abuse.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the lawsuit by the Wichita Tribe and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California claims the federal government used money obtained through forced treaties — intended to benefit tribes collectively — to bankroll a program that sought to erase Native identity through violence and assimilation.

“The United States Government, the trustee over Native children’s education and these funds, has never accounted for the funds that it took, or detailed how, or even whether, those funds were ultimately expended,” the lawsuit states. “It has failed to identify any funds that remain.”

The suit names Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Indian Education as defendants. A Department of the Interior spokesperson declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

The complaint follows a 2022 report by the Department of the Interior under then-Secretary Deb Haaland — the first Native American to lead the agency — which revealed the traumatic and often deadly legacy of the boarding school era. The report confirmed that Native children were forcibly removed from their homes, stripped of their languages and cultures, and subjected to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.

The Interior report also confirmed that tribal trust money—funds supposedly held and managed by the federal government for the benefit of Native communities—funded these schools. The new lawsuit demands a full accounting of the estimated $23.3 billion appropriated for the boarding school program, a breakdown of how those funds were used or invested, and identification of any remaining amounts.

“This is not just about historic abuse,” said a spokesperson for the Wichita Tribe. “It’s about the continued financial exploitation of tribal nations and the government’s failure to honor its fiduciary responsibilities.”

Although President Joe Biden issued a formal apology last year, calling the boarding school policy “a sin on our soul,” President Donald Trump’s administration in April slashed $1.6 million in funding from projects aimed at preserving the testimonies of survivors.

For tribal leaders, the lawsuit represents both a demand for justice and a reckoning with a brutal chapter of American history that remains unresolved. “We are still living with the consequences,” said a Washoe Tribe representative. “Now we are asking for truth — and accountability.”