ICWA

Here is something important to Native Americans outside of November. ICWA The Indian Child Welfare Act. The act was enacted in 1978 in response to large numbers of Native children being separated from their parents, families, and communities by state child welfare and private adoption agencies. The purpose of the Indian Child Welfare Act is “…to protect the best interest of Indian Children and to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families by the establishment of minimum Federal standards for the removal of Indian children and placement of such children in homes which will reflect the unique values of Indian culture… ” So this act is to keep children at home that will continue to teach them their culture. However, the Supreme Court is now looking at the Indigenous Child Welfare Act, Haaland v. Brackeen. They will be looking at it this month. The start of this matter happened in June 2016. A 10-month-old Navajo and Cherokee boy was placed in the home of a white, evangelical couple in Fort Worth, Texas. The following year, the Brackeens had plans to adopt the boy. Still, under the Indian Child Welfare Act, the Navajo tribe located a Native family unrelated to the boy to take him in, but the Brackeens filed a federal lawsuit. Because of this, plans to send the boy to another tribe fell through, and the Brackeens were allowed to adopt him formally. Last year, the Brackeens fought to obtain custody of the boy’s sister, whose Navajo extended family wanted to take her in. 

Here are some links to help you learn more about ICWA

https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/2/20/21131387/indian-child-welfare-act-court-case-foster-care

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/05/health/navajo-children-custody-fight.html

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