National Native Organizations to Announce Their
Next Legal Steps Related to Baby Veronica Case
Organizations:
Native American Rights Fund (NARF),
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI),
and National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA)
Native American Rights Fund (NARF),
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI),
and National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA)
Monday July 22, 2013 - 1 p.m. eastern
(877) 856-2376 – Call ID# 22752930
(877) 856-2376 – Call ID# 22752930
Washington, DC – The three leading national Native advocacy organizations monitoring the custody case of “Baby Veronica”, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, will announce the next legal steps they plan to take related to the ongoing case. The announcement comes following last week’s order by the South Carolina Supreme Court to the State’s Family Court to expedite the custody transfer process of Veronica from her father, also a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, to the adoptive couple involved in the case.
What: National press teleconference with national Native organizations to outline their next legal steps related to Baby Veronica case.
When: Monday, July 22, 2013 - 1 p.m. eastern / 12 p.m. central
Details: (877) 856-2376 – Call ID# 22752930
Who: Leaders of three leading national tribal advocacy organizations monitoring Baby Veronica case:
- Jacqueline Pata, Executive Director, National Congress of American Indians
- John Echohawk, Executive Director, Native American Rights Fund
- Terry Cross, Executive Director, National Indian Child Welfare Association
Listened in; wasn't impressed. Same tired line about what's best for the tribe, and not the children. This is why these efforts continually fail...most people care about the kids.
ReplyDeleteBaby Veronica deserves a fair and impartial tribunal to determine her best interests - and the new lawsuit will address this, depending on the outcome in SC appeal.
ReplyDeleteTribes are addressing this late - ICWA cannot and must not be ignored. History of Indian Adoptions - how it happened - cannot be forgotten.
Sadly, this case points out that ICWA was purposefully ignored and putting her up for adoption never should have happened.
So no one was there to represent the father. Indeed it's about the tribe and screw the children.
ReplyDeleteReally anonymouse? The father and the CNO were represented. The GAL for the child(HIRED by the C's) stated this needed a re-hearing for the best interests and knew those would not be necessarily in favor of the potential adoptive parents but could and would likely leave the child with her father. The courts chose to ignore 99% of the facts and went with what they thought was an easy out. Not so fast say the Native Nations!
ReplyDeleteIt is about the Tribe but also fathers rights, if he were a white man we wouldn't be having a discussion about who the child belongs with....but this is definately an affront to tribal Sovereignty, a childs right to be with her biological father and extended family---an aspect of cultural rights that need to be honored due to th uniques government to government relationship the Cherokee body has with the US Government. Its simple on its face a chid belongs with her blood family why should adoption as a commodity practice ship a child off to a "loving white couple" who are not blood/family---when the father is willing and capable, as are his extended family and wife available to raise and have done so for the last 19 months.... the ICWA law is clear and the lawyers who did this transaction deliberately lied about the fathers name/etc....this adoption is illegal....and this isnt going to fly--TRUST THAT. Olivia H. (Eastern Band Descendant) 98505
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the comments on this post. We as adoptees can and do imagine what is ahead for Veronica if she is removed from her bio dad. Adoption is very hard on some adoptees. Those who adopt us don't always understand how much we want to go home, to be with our biological relatives and tribes.
ReplyDeleteSlanting the news to create sympathy for the future adoptive parents infuriates me.
On this blog, we are hoping to prevent any further trauma by having Veronica stay with her dad as she has for the past several months.
As an adoptee, I pray she doesn't have to be adopted.