On October 27th, CWLA hosted Protect ICWA, a webinar panel to discuss the importance of the Indian Child Welfare Act. This webinar comes shortly before the Supreme Court hears Haaland v. Brackeen, a case seeking to declare ICWA unconstitutional. The case is scheduled for argument on November 9th. Panelists for CWLA’s webinar were Angela Connor (Choctaw), Dr. Priscilla Day (Anishinaabe), and Stacey Tadgerson (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians).
The webinar aimed to clarify the importance of tribal sovereignty and reinforce the need to ensure that American Indian/Alaska Native children maintain their tribal connections. Dr. Priscilla Day presented that over half of all AI/AN children will be part of a child welfare investigation, and have the highest rates of removal in the U.S. The main topics discussed included:
- Current challenges
- Tribal sovereignty
- Family preservation
- Models for best practice
- What happens when ICWA is not followed
- Background on the upcoming supreme court case, Haaland v. Brackeen
- What attendees of the webinar can do to protect ICWA
ICWA protects tribal sovereignty and is vital to ensure the protection of American Indian/Alaska Native children. Protecting ICWA protects these children. You can help protect ICWA by joining NICWA’s campaign and signing the petition. The webinar recording is available for CWLA members.
By Chloe Miller, Policy Intern
