Post by blackcrowheart on Jun 13, 2007 14:19:48 GMT -5
Minnesota / State, tribes agree on child welfare Tribal identity will be
first concern BY AMY FORLITI
In a ceremony filled with drumming, dancing and references to a bitter
past, leaders from Minnesota's 11 American Indian tribes signed a deal
with the state Thursday to ensure that social services officials act in
the best interest of Indian children.
The agreement outlines how both nontribal and tribal agencies should
handle cases involving the welfare of Indian children caught up in the
child protection system, said Kevin Leecy, chairman of the Bois Forte
Band of Chippewa and president of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council.
"We are trying … to help people understand that tribal identity is
the most critical factor for the health … of our children," Leecy
said, adding that in the past, one in four Indian children in the social
services system was placed with non-Indian families.
The agreement updates and clarifies a 1999 agreement that outlined how
American Indian children should be cared for under the federal Indian
Child Welfare Act and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act.
The new agreement makes it clear that tribes know best how to help their
children and families. Department of Human Services Commissioner Cal
Ludeman said the new agreement makes key changes to reflect that.
Among them, it recognizes the importance of tribal culture and the need
for Indian children to maintain connections with their tribes.
It also recognizes that the Indian Child Welfare Act applies to all
children who belong to Indian tribes or are eligible for tribal
membership — doing away with an exception that courts used to weigh
a child's contact with the tribe to determine whether he or she was
"really" Indian.
"With this agreement we are promising much to ensure children's safety
and well-being. And I am proud of that. The tribes, I believe, should be
proud of that. And we want Minnesotans to be proud of that," Ludeman
said.
The ceremony marked the first time all of the current tribal leaders
were together, said JoLynn Shopteese, spokeswoman for the Minnesota
Indian Affairs Council.
The event concluded three days of legislative workshops titled "Indian
Issues 101." The forum, sponsored by the council, was designed to
educate legislators on American Indians' history in Minnesota; tribal,
state and federal laws; tribal sovereignty; and other issues.
The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council is a liaison between the state and
the 11 tribal governments.
first concern BY AMY FORLITI
In a ceremony filled with drumming, dancing and references to a bitter
past, leaders from Minnesota's 11 American Indian tribes signed a deal
with the state Thursday to ensure that social services officials act in
the best interest of Indian children.
The agreement outlines how both nontribal and tribal agencies should
handle cases involving the welfare of Indian children caught up in the
child protection system, said Kevin Leecy, chairman of the Bois Forte
Band of Chippewa and president of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council.
"We are trying … to help people understand that tribal identity is
the most critical factor for the health … of our children," Leecy
said, adding that in the past, one in four Indian children in the social
services system was placed with non-Indian families.
The agreement updates and clarifies a 1999 agreement that outlined how
American Indian children should be cared for under the federal Indian
Child Welfare Act and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act.
The new agreement makes it clear that tribes know best how to help their
children and families. Department of Human Services Commissioner Cal
Ludeman said the new agreement makes key changes to reflect that.
Among them, it recognizes the importance of tribal culture and the need
for Indian children to maintain connections with their tribes.
It also recognizes that the Indian Child Welfare Act applies to all
children who belong to Indian tribes or are eligible for tribal
membership — doing away with an exception that courts used to weigh
a child's contact with the tribe to determine whether he or she was
"really" Indian.
"With this agreement we are promising much to ensure children's safety
and well-being. And I am proud of that. The tribes, I believe, should be
proud of that. And we want Minnesotans to be proud of that," Ludeman
said.
The ceremony marked the first time all of the current tribal leaders
were together, said JoLynn Shopteese, spokeswoman for the Minnesota
Indian Affairs Council.
The event concluded three days of legislative workshops titled "Indian
Issues 101." The forum, sponsored by the council, was designed to
educate legislators on American Indians' history in Minnesota; tribal,
state and federal laws; tribal sovereignty; and other issues.
The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council is a liaison between the state and
the 11 tribal governments.