Indigenous Cultures Today: Protecting Native Families and Practicing Cultural Traditions
To Bizaan and Mitig
4 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Protecting Native Children CHAPTER 1 Education and Family Systems CHAPTER 2 Boarding Schools and Assimilation CHAPTER 3 Indian Child Welfare Act CHAPTER 4 Restoring Indigenous Languages and Cultures Glossary Index 6 10 19 25 30 31
4 INTRODUCTION PROTECTING NATIVE CHILDREN On June 15 2023 advocates for Native American rights and tribal Nations celebrated a victory The Supreme Court of the United States decided to uphold or continue to support the Indian Child Welfare Act ICWA ICWA is an important law that keeps Native American children in the foster care system with Native American families Native American advocates and activists worried that the Supreme Court would rule against them If that happened Native children could have been taken away from their
nations and separated from their families and communities The US government had taken Native children away from their loved ones before But Native American peoples have always shown great strength and courage when it comes to protecting their children and loved ones A citizen right of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas celebrates the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the ICWA with a hug 5
