Oregon Reps See Signs Of Slow Progress At Troubled Chemawa Boarding School

Two months after a congressional committee held an emotional, sometimes-combative hearing on Chemawa Indian School, the Oregon representatives leading improvement efforts see few signs of progress.

"The wheels of justice move slowly, but I am committed to staying the course and doing what is right for these Native American students," said U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, in a statement Tuesday.

The congressional reps are striking an encouraged, but skeptical tone. Schrader has been optimistic before, such as in a visit to the school in May 2018 when school staff promised to provide information. Schrader and his colleague Rep. Suzanne Bonamici found themselves waiting months for answers from federal authorities. In a statement to OPB, Bonamici appeared to be losing patience.

"We are calling on school leadership and the Trump administration to address concerns about student safety and wellbeing, and we are demanding that they make important strides to recruit and train native staff before the next school year begins," Bonamici said.