SCOTUS upholds the Indian Child Welfare Act

What an amazing day in history! The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a piece of legislation that the Brackeens, a white couple from Texas who felt ‘called’ to adopt American Indian children, fought to overturn. The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA). They weren’t the only foster parents who have fallen prey to becoming […]

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When Race, History, and Policy Collide – Why ICWA is important

I am so honored to have been invited to be a presenter at this year’s Speaking of the Children Conference in LaVista, Nebraska.  This conference is heavily attended by people in all aspects of child welfare, including social workers, law enforcement, mental health specialists, lawyers and now a cultural anthropologist! Historical events and policies, designed […]

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The Weight of Time and Its Endless Lessons

Like last year, autumn will be slow in coming.  It will be awhile before we can leave behind the 90+ degree days that we’ve experienced too many times this summer, and last. I look forward to autumn. There is a change in the air that other seasons don’t convey; autumn encompasses all the senses.  It […]

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U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether ICWA is unconstitutional. Why should you care?

In 2019, I was interviewed by Huffpost as part of an article that explores the question Who Should Be Allowed to Adopt American Indian Children? Great question as conservatives and religious communities attempt to remove the Indian Child Welfare Act from Legislation. Read the article; watch the mini–documentary, by journalists Jennifer Bendery,Isaac Himmelman, and Lena […]

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Adoption and Reproductive Justice – Petrie-Flom Blog Digital Symposium

Recently, U.S. Supreme Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett suggested that child placement through adoption makes Roe V. Wade a moot point. And there are pleny of myths that point to this seemingly painless transaction.  But as Katherine Joyce, a writer for Salon, states, “the suggestion that adoption entails nothing more than several months of inconvenience […]

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