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.