In October of this year, Lakota People’s Law Project staff Belva Morrison, Madonna Thunder Hawk, Sara Nelson and Daniel Sheehan attended the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) 66th Annual Convention and Trade Show in Palm Springs, CA. Their goal was to secure support from the NCAI for our ICWA Amendment Initiative.
With the help of our friend and ally Ron His Horse Is Thunder (outgoing chair of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association and NCAI Vice-President for the Great Plains Region), we were able to place a resolution supporting our proposed ICWA amendment on the Health Sub-Committee’s agenda. After some back and forth over the amendment and an initial motion to table the resolution, Madonna Thunder Hawk delivered a moving speech to the assembled crowd, discussing her own experiences with Indian children being taken from their families. Her heartfelt words opened a flood-gate of similar stories from other tribal nations’ delegates, and a motion to support passed easily.
On the last day of the Convention, the resolution was presented to the full plenary session for consideration. The Indian Child and Family Welfare Sub-Committee and Human Relations Committee announced their endorsement of the resolution and delegates from the 200-plus member tribes voted unanimously to pass the resolution in support of amending ICWA to the mandatory placement preference provisions of Sections 1915 and 1916 enforceable in federal court.
NCAI supports ICWA Amendment
View a copy of the official NCAI Resolution.
In October of this year, Lakota People’s Law Project staff Belva Morrison, Madonna Thunder Hawk, Sara Nelson and Daniel Sheehan attended the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) 66th Annual Convention and Trade Show in Palm Springs, CA. Their goal was to secure support from the NCAI for our ICWA Amendment Initiative.
With the help of our friend and ally Ron His Horse Is Thunder (outgoing chair of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association and NCAI Vice-President for the Great Plains Region), we were able to place a resolution supporting our proposed ICWA amendment on the Health Sub-Committee’s agenda. After some back and forth over the amendment and an initial motion to table the resolution, Madonna Thunder Hawk delivered a moving speech to the assembled crowd, discussing her own experiences with Indian children being taken from their families. Her heartfelt words opened a flood-gate of similar stories from other tribal nations’ delegates, and a motion to support passed easily.
On the last day of the Convention, the resolution was presented to the full plenary session for consideration. The Indian Child and Family Welfare Sub-Committee and Human Relations Committee announced their endorsement of the resolution and delegates from the 200-plus member tribes voted unanimously to pass the resolution in support of amending ICWA to the mandatory placement preference provisions of Sections 1915 and 1916 enforceable in federal court.
This is a major step forward in our effort to amend the Indian Child Welfare Act and our efforts to stop the seizure of Lakota children. To learn more, view a copy of the NCAI resolution and read about our Lakota Child Rescue Project and ICWA Amendment Initiative.