The Supreme Court's historic decision safeguards the Native American Adoption Law and bolsters the Indian Child Welfare Act, ensuring tribal identity and protecting Native American children's rights.
Indian Country breathed a sigh of relief yesterday after months of anxiety over the possibility of a substantial blow to tribal sovereignty as the Supreme Court decided the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The Act was passed in 1978 and gives tribal governments exclusive jurisdiction over Native children who live on reservations and is considered a core legal tenant to tribal sovereignty. The Court affirmed ICWA in the case Haaland v. Brackeen by a 7-2 vote.