Washington ? Legislation that would offer a formal apology to American Indians for centuries of government mistreatment received a warm reception Wednesday at a Senate committee hearing.

Introduced last month by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., the resolution would apologize for the “many instances of violence, maltreatment and neglect inflicted on Native Peoples by citizens of the United States.”

“While we cannot erase the record of our past, I am confident that we can acknowledge our past failures, express sincere regrets and work toward establishing a brighter future for all Americans,” Brownback told the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

The resolution recounts the long history of government mistreatment of American Indians, including forced relocation, the outlawing of traditional religions and destruction of sacred sites.

Congress rarely apologizes for official government conduct. Exceptions include a 1993 apology to native Hawaiians for the unlawful overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, and a 1988 apology to Japanese Americans placed in detention camps during World War II.

Efforts to win an apology for slavery have failed to gain momentum in Congress.

Venida Chenault, vice president of academic affairs at Haskell Indian Nations University, called the apology “a step in the right direction.”

She added, “But I also think it is telling in terms of the resistance that has taken place in the past.”

The committee passed the resolution last year, but the Senate failed to act on it.

Tex Hall, president of the National Congress of American Indians, called the apology “a long time coming” and urged Congress to recognize ongoing problems in Indian relations with the U.S. government.