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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2012)
NICWA asks for help to protect Native children, keep them with family By Terry Cross, Executive Director, National Indian Child Welfare Association Tribal governments across the country and thousands of Native children and families. Who should raise American Indian and Alaska Native children? What rights do Native children have to their culture? Unlike any ICWA case we have ever worked on in our 30-year history, the court records in this case were sealed. The void left by the lack of a public official court record has been filled with many inaccura cies perpetuated by the media. These questions are at the heart of a case that was ruled on July 25 by the South Carolina Supreme Court. This decision has become a lightning rod for opposition to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). With this ruling as a rallying cry, a new push is being made by anti-Tribal groups to dismantle the ability of ICWA to protect Native children. ICWA is the only law that stands to keep Native children with Native families and protects Native children’s right to their Tribal heritage and to participate in their culture. Since early January, the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) has been tracking the ICWA case in South Carolina involving a Chero kee child called “Baby Veronica.” This case affects the now 2-year-old child, her enrolled Cherokee Iraq war veteran father and the Cherokee Nation. It also has real ramifications for U.S. congressional action, law in other states, The South Carolina Supreme Court heard the case on April 17, 2012, and because of egregious violations of state and federal law, the court upheld Baby Veronica’s father’s custody. However, this victory is the beginning of another challenge. Supporters of the prospective adop tive couple are planning to move forward with challenging ICWA. They are vigor ously lobbying for major amendments to ICWA. With resources such as a full service public relations firm, supporters have created a new coalition to achieve this goal. But Baby Veronica and her father do not stand alone. With your support, NICWA can make sure lawmakers uphold the law. Your gift can help us stand for Native children and their right to be with their families. Should the prospective adoptive fam ily choose to appeal, as they have sworn to, this case will land in a federal circuit court that sees few Indian law cases and is considered very conservative. Further, we have seen already how effectively the family uses the media to mobilize a wide community of supporters who fervently believe ICWA should be repealed. We are in for a long fight. This newly formed anti-ICWA coalition has recently hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill. We need your help to successfully counter these attacks. In 1996, when NICWA worked on an anti-ICWA case in which policymakers took an interest, we dedicated several staff positions and spent two years defending ICWA from ill-conceived amendments. We are starting to raise funds now to counter these anti-Tribal attacks. Donor support was critical to NICWA’S success in 1996. We are counting on supporters once more. We call on you to defend ICWA - to make a contribution to NICWA to support our advocacy in this case. Our children and communities cannot afford for us to be unprepared to defend the law that keeps Native children in Native families and communities. ICWA is needed now more than ever. HUNTING & FISHING INFORMATION NOW ISSUING GENERAL DEER RIFLE TAGS Season 9/29-11/2/2012 A National Public Radio story in the fall of 2011, Lost Children, Shattered Families, stressed the continued need for legal protections for Native children, their families and Tribal communities. There are still many cases where Native children continue to be unjustly removed from their Native families. This law is the only recourse Tribal communities and Native families have to bring their children home. NICWA is fighting to protect ICWA and protect Native children - and stands between those who would speak to part them from their families and culture. NICWA has taken the lead to organize our own coalition by completing a webinar on the case and media coverage of it to a network of more than 200 Tribal com munications professionals, organizing and training a group of messengers from all aspects of Indian child welfare work to help inform the media and coordinating a response to anti-Tribal efforts on the Hill. We cannot defend the only law that protects Native families from the unwar ranted removal of their children without your support. Join our coalition by mak ing a generous gift of $25, $50 or $100 today and take a stand for Native children and the future of our Tribal nations. We know you care about our Native children. Please join us in protecting them today. For more information, contact NICWA at 503-222-4044 or 5100 SW Macadam Ave., Suite 300, Portland, OR 97239; or visit nicwa.org. HUNTING & FISHING INFORMATION ELK TAG DRAWING EARLY DEER ARCHERY TAGS Season 8/25 - 9/23/2012 — . Over a hundred years ago 2fach TH itaia vision of the time when Indian Teorie would beai from the devastating effects ofTuropean migration. In fus vision the Sacred líoop which Had been brohen, would be mended in seven generations. ■! ------- TfuHo used nOh ^emission of Sacred Çrcntud Outreach The children bom into this decade will be the seventh generation. ELK TAG LOTTERY DRAWING SALMON TAGS Season dates will be posted at a later date. Tags can be obtained at the Natural Resources office in Siletz or by phoning ‘W»® A® CMAon G mmv 0U « Tie Siíetz Tribai Indian duld beffare Rosie Williams at 541-444-8227 or Mike Kennedy at 541-444-8232 and providing name, roll number, phone number, address and which tag(s) are being requested. INCENTIVES Remember to report the harvest of all tags within 3 business days. All persons reporting will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win Cabelas gift cards. 26 • Siletz News • September 2012 Applications are due by 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 28, 2012. Drawing will be held Oct. 8, 2012, at 5 p.m. at the Siletz administration building. Each person must fill out, sign and turn in his or her own application. We have 25 tags each for the first and second season bull hunts and a total of 27 tags for the various cow hunts. Applications are available beginning Sept. 3 at the Natural Resources office; on the Tribal website under Tribal Services, Other Departments, Natural Resources; or by calling one of the numbers listed below. If you have questions, please call Rosie Williams at 541-444-8227 or Mike Kennedy at 541-444-8232.
