Nearly a thousand children died at Indian boarding schools funded by the U.S.

Interior Department releases new report on Native American children who died in boarding schools. For the first time, the federal government accepts responsibility for its role in creating the system. The report concludes a three-year investigation. The Interior Department also called for billions in federal funding to begin a “healing” process.

At least 973 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children died while attending schools in the system. The investigation also confirms that there are at least 74 marked or unmarked burial sites at 65 of the schools. One initiative proposed in the report is to identify and repatriate the remains of children who never returned home.

The report calls on the U.S. government to issue a formal apology. It would also help educate the broader population about the dark time in the country’s history. The report advocates spending on programs such as family reunification, language revitalization, and Indian education.