Page 8 October 25,1982
The long ride from Alaska
Slow mile by slow mile Brad
Petty is making his way from
F a i r b a n k s , A la s k a to
W a tso n v ille , C a lifo rn ia .
Unlike other travelers who
might take a plane or drive and
be there within hburs/or days
Petty has been on < the road
since Màrch 1981.
Traveling the 6,500 (two-
way) miles by horse Petty is
fulfilling a dream formulated in
his youth and along with that
he is c a m p a ig n in g fo r
thousands of cripple^ children
as he encourages folks he meets
along the way to give to the
Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled
Children.
Petty’s wife in Watsonville,
California says, “he has always
loved horses.” Petty’s father
was a ferrier. Following in his
father’s footsteps Petty, after
retiring from teaching school in
Palo Alto, California, also
shod horses full time.
When he was young, Mrs,
Petty explains, he always
wanted to make the .ride
between Alaska and Cali
fornia, After retirement the
opportunity presented itself.
‘*he’s a restless man and I told
him to do what .fie wanted to
dp,” Mrs. Petty adder).
Since the beg-nning of his
trek she has been home taking
care of thè house ànq “paying
the bills,” Petty mentioned.
WithQut her he could not have
made the trip.
Petty?s ride has, taken place
two phases. After riding
north to Alaska he sold his
horses. Roamer and Revally.
He r e tu r n e d hom e to
California where he decided his
journey was not yet complete.
The people who owned the
horses were willing to sell them
back to Petty in exchange for
two registered mares. Petty
pulled a horse trailer to Alaska
with the horses and was
reunited with his own equine
traveling companions. Since
his arrical back in Alaska Petty
has riden up the Alaskan
pipeline 100 miles past the
Arctic Circle. His most recent
ride, however, began in
Fairbanks and will end in
approximately four weeks
when he arrives back home.
To mark the many places he
has been and people he has met
Petty’s hat is adorned with pins
and his pack horses carries four
f la g s ; A la s k a , B r itis h
C o lu m b ia, O regon and
California.
People he has met along the
way have assisted him in many
ways. Truckers would stop to
ask if he needed anything. Petty
reminisced. Usually he would
only ask that they bring him
feed for his horses. They would
drop some by on their next trip
through. “Not once did they
;hareg me,” Petty said.
Upon meeting people along
the way Petty asks them to sign
their name and home on a piece
of white material carried
especially fdr that purpose. The
main delight of traveling at a
slow pace is being able to meet
so many people. It’s not such a
lonely way to travel as some
would think.
Many of the people Petty
met on his trip to Alaska
invited him to stay in their
homes on his return journey.
“ You can’t imaging how
wonderful people tire. I
particularly enjoy the people I
stay with at night,” he
mentioned.
Petty is continuing his
journey south on Highway 97
to Klamath Falls. Hell then
head toward Mr. Lassen
crossing it if the weather is fair.
Upon his arrival home Petty
will begin work on a book
relating his adventures. He has
many experiences he wishes to
share with people.
His campaign encouraging
people to donate to the
Shriners Hospital is part of
these experiences. Petty readily
hands out envelopes for
mailing contributions to the
Shriners Hospital. He doesn’t
take donations on the road.
Emphasizing the work of the
Shriners H ospital Petty
explains it is free of charge for
children needing corrective
surgery. Children of any race,
creed or color are eligible if
they need the help.
Contributions may be sent to
S h rin e rs H o s p ita ls fo r
C rippled C hildren, 1701
N ineteenth Avenue, San
Francisco, California 94122.
SPILYAY TYMOO
Riding fo r the Shriner’s Hospital crippled children Brad Petty is
just returning from A lask. A long the way he encourages people to
send donations to the hospital and if any child needs assistance to
contact hospital officials.
\
y S pilyayT ym ooph oto hy Shewczyk
Conference stresses need for cooperative effort
by Pat Leno
The final note of the three
day Indian Child Welfare Act
(ICWA) Northwest Confe
rence stressed the need for
participants to return to their
homes with a good, positive
attitude to promote the IWCA
in their home country. The
conference was co-sponsored
by the Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs and the Siletz
Tribe.
The conference was the
second in a planned series of
three. The first was held at the
Yakima Reservation and the
next will be held in Lapwai,
Idaho in April of 1983.
D uring the conference
ICWA issues were discussed
and possible answers were
suggested by federal, state and
tribal officialsTrom throughout
the Northwest.
, T he IC W A of 19 78
established standards for the
placement of Indianchildren in
foster and adoptive homes. The
best interest of the children is
p ro te c te d by re tu rn in g
jurisdictibn to the tribal courts.
Before the passage of the act.
it was the common practice
. o f 1 the state agencies to
remove Indian C hildren
from their families with little
regard given to placing them in
other Indian, homes.. Since the
act was passed in 1978, all cases
involving Indian children
should be transferred to tribal
courts when the question of
foster care or adoption is
involved. The result has been
that the question of foster care
or adoption is involved. The
result has been that the children
a re b e in g r e tu r n e d to
tra d itio n a l and cu ltu ral
fa m ilie s liv in g on th e
reservations.
In the keynote address
Dough Hutchinson, chairman
of the ICWA ad-hoc committee
for Warm Springs, stated the
act is working because it has
invoked change but he
questioned if the change has
been enough; He pointed out
that one. area of difficulty has
. been the lack of funding to
im plem ent the act. The
governm ents involved in
making the act work have had
problems in knowing and
accepting their exact roles,
according to Hutchinson. He
felt the federal government has
played a very passive role in
monitoring the act and that the
states appear to be threatened
by the act and seem to generate
the feeling that they can’t
understand why it was written
since state laws cover the issue
of adoption and foster care,
said Hutchinson. The tribal
governments do not always
have the full meaning of the act
and its impact upon their
ability to exert jurisdiction.. He
s t r e $Ve d c dm m u n ic a t i o n ,-
cooperation and correlation
among thethree governments
to bring the act closer to its
original goal.
Funding
’
* - Finding the monies to
enforce the act and monies to
offer the services which are
needed, has been a major
draw back in the ICWA
accordingto officials. In some
cases, it has been necessary for
the tribes to use state services as
they do not have the services on
their reservations. This has not
always been taken kindly by
state officials as they feel the
tribes, in taking over the
jurisdiction, should provide
their own resources. In writing
the act, the federal govem-
in their planning for return of
available for the support
services needed.
“lack of funding a major
problem”
The responsibility has been
placed on the Indian tribes and
lack of funds often prevents
tribes .from having adequate D ivorce and Paternity issues
parents are going to court. The
programs. Support programs
best people to protect Indian
The act was not written to rig h ts >are th e In d ia n s
have been identified as being
vital in ;he transformation of give Indian* parents special themselves, so don’t rely on
Indian children going back into privileges in a divorce Sand non-Indians to pass the word to
a traditional ’ ana i cultural custody case. It was written in your tribal court.
Indian setting.
cases of fo s te r c a re ,
termination of parental rights; Children’s Service Division
Foster Parents and Homes
pre-adoption placement and
adoption. It addresses the . The C hildren’s Service
The need for more foster removal of a child from Department (CSD) can be a
parents on the reservation has parental custody to ensure that resource to the Indian parent
been a need tribes must address a child has the advantages of a but it is necessary for them to
in planning for return of traditional and cultural Indian know any Indian blood the
children. The responsibility of upbringing.
child may carry. They CSD
being a foster parent entails
The paternity issue’s involve faces budget cuts as are most
meeting the needs of the children who are members of governmental agencies. But
children in everyday living an Indian tribe or who have the they are a resource and must
situations. As one parent put it, right to be a member of a tribe. not overlook any rights of
“Children don’t play by the The paternity of the child must Indians. They know of the:
rules. Raising children is a joy be established by the court and ' different avenues available to >
and gorilla welfare.” The need by court order within the patents^• i s
t
for a place to house children meaning of the act.
“Need seen for updating
until they go to a faster home is
needed on most reservations. Adoption Issues
intake forms” a h
Warm Springs is ahead of other
Leroy Wilder, Siletz tribal // ‘ At' this'time, the CSD offices
areas in that respect with the
attorney
said the all .Indians
áfé in tíje Jfrocéks of making
Vern ' Jackson home and the.
tribail group home serving as^ who appear in court outside ' rules Which will jeritail getting
reservations, land s ft must be ¿more mput dt a fastej rate from
temporary shelters.
¡remembered fhey^'are; ;ra n
the field. Each* case is being
“ C om m unication and Anglo-America n court system dealt with on an individual
c o o p e ra tio n prevent and the judge hearing the case basis. The agencies see a need
is in all liklihood, an Anglo- ¿‘for* a clearinghouse for
misunderstanding”
American. This value system is “ information. It has been an
different than tribal couifts. All oversight by the state juvenile
State/Tribal Agreements
p a re n ts faced w ith the • courts in not including ICWA
termination of their parental .initspresentprocedure.
There is a definite need for rights have the right to an
Important reminders to all
the states and tribes to work attorney. They have thfè rightto
Indian people are: 1) it is
out agreements to identify all resources available to them necessary for tribes to exert
problems before they arise. Art and the right to “good social jurisdiction to preserve their
Bensell, chairman of the Siletz work.”
rights given in the act but they
Reservation, pointed out that
need to be notified of the case;
learning to work with the state “State rules for evidence 2) it is necessary for all parties
can be an asset for tribes. It is are important factors”
to meet the requirements that
im portant to gain these
the state requires for evidence;
Evidence must be given at 3) Make certain the people you
agreements to speed up the
present processes now being the offset that the child is an are dealing have the authority
In d ia n and th e p ro p e r to make a decision for their
used.
Agencies felt a real need for authorities of the child’s tribe agency; 4) Make certain the
agreements in the management must be notified. Before a tribe agencies know of the Indian
of the act. The State of Oregon and the proper authorities of blood and with which tribe
had proposed a blanket the child’s tribe must be the child is affiliated.
agreement written to cover all notified. Before a tribe can
The act is there and it is for
tribes in Oregon but have assert jurisdiction over an the Indian child and his best
decided this is not the best Indian child in state courts, interests but the parents must
vehicle and are now looking at they need to know as soon as be sure to start the process
possible that the child and
agreements with each tribe.
correctly.