Deconstructing the “Baby Veronica” Case: Implications for the Future of the Indian Child Welfare Act
Friday, February 21, 5:15-6:45 p.m.
Yale Law School, New Haven, CT
Panelists:
- Jacqueline Pata, Executive Director, National Congress of American Indians
- Joel West Williams, Staff Attorney, Native American Rights Fund
In June 2013, the Supreme Court decided Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, a widely publicized case involving the adoption of a Cherokee child by non-Natives over the objections of her Cherokee father. At the heart of the controversy was the Indian Child Welfare Act, a federal law designed to protect the best interests of Native children and promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families. This panel will explore the history behind this landmark law, the current landscape of Indian child welfare, and the implications of the “Baby Veronica” decision for the future placement of Native children. Additionally, panelists will discuss how their organizations collaborated with both tribal and non-tribal stakeholders to develop legal, media, and other advocacy strategies for the case as part of the Tribal Supreme Court Project.
Registration: http://www.rsvpbook.com/event.php?439305
This panel is part of Yale Law School’s 2014 Rebellious Lawyering Conference. To learn more about the conference, please visit: http://www.yale.edu/reblaw.
Turtle Talk 