Iranian media slaps U.S. "dark history" of mistreating Native American children in boarding schools

TEHRAN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The finding of around 500 reported deaths of Native American children who were forced to attend U.S. federal boarding schools has cast light on the dark history of America's systematic ethnic discrimination against Native Americans, Iran's Press TV reported on Tuesday.

A recent investigation, conducted by the U.S. Department of the Interior, has found around 500 deaths were recorded in governmental boarding schools for Native American children between 1819 and 1969.

The investigation indicated that over the span of 150 years, hundreds of thousands of Native American children were forced by the U.S. Federal Government to attend boarding schools. These children were separated from their families by force, forbidden from speaking their native languages, and often sexually abused.

"The number of deaths uncovered could be just the tip of the proverbial iceberg," Press TV noted, adding that the investigation revealed that the actual death toll of the Native American children is likely in the thousands.

"The painful legacy of the notorious system," which was run by the U.S. government, has been felt deeply across the Native American communities and "through many generations," the report said.

As a minority ethnic group, Native Americans are still faced with various challenges today, especially "racial discrimination," Press TV said, adding that pressure is "mounting on the U.S. establishment to come to terms with and learn lessons from its dark past."