Sovereignty Blog Posts

POLICY ALERT:

Indian Country Fights To Protect ICWA: Haaland v. Brackeen to be heard by SCOTUS on November 9, 2022

Subject Matter

On November 9, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will hear the alarming case, Haaland v. Brackeen. The questions of the case are (1) whether the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) interferes with a State’s power over adoptions and foster care and (2) whether the ICWA unfairly limits adoptions by parents who are not members of the Native child’s tribe. The case is alarming because of its potential to upend the foundations of culture and Indian Law.

Background

Enacted in 1978, the Indian Child Welfare Act...

On June 29, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) delivered a decision that reverberated throughout all of Indian Country. In the case of Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta, the Court held that “the Federal Government and the State have concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute crimes committed by non-Indians against Indians in Indian country.” In response to this decision the American Indian Policy Institute is providing consolidated resources in one place for those interested in learning more about the Castro-Huerta decision and implications for Tribal sovereignty. 

The decision in Castro-Huerta directly contradicts long-settled legal precedent surrounding Tribal criminal jurisdiction and is a monumental step backward in the inherent sovereignty of Native...

The Indigenous Leadership Academy Application is now open! In this blog post, I wanted to answer some questions I’ve gotten from people about the Indigenous Leadership Academy. If you are an Indigenous person who wants to be a contributor to your community you should apply to this academy!

When does the application open?

The application is open now! You can apply here: https://bit.ly/3ne1rvJ

When does the application close?

The application closes on July 22, 2022, so be sure to get your application in as soon as possible.

How is the cohort run?

It was developed as a hybrid model. The first module and the tenth module meeting are in-person in Phoenix (tentatively) and the middle two...

*Editor’s Note: This article was a collaboration between AIPI Policy & Research Assistant Sadie Vermillion and ILA Program Coordinator Kristen Talbert. 

Removal of American Indian children from their homes by both public and private entities has long been a commonplace experience in Indian Country. According to the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) website, “The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was enacted in 1978 in response to a crisis affecting American Indian and Alaska Native children, families, and tribes. Studies revealed that large numbers of Native children were being separated from their parents, extended families, and communities by state child welfare and private adoption agencies. In fact, research found...