- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
The California ICWA Institute—a new project under The California Tribal Families Coalition— will bring together tribal leaders and policymakers to craft legal and political strategies in defense of Native American youth and tribal sovereignty under attack.
In early November, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments for Haaland v. Brackeen, a highly contested case out of Texas that challenges the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Congress passed ICWA in 1978 after a national effort to address the widespread practice of removing American Indian children—members of federally recognized tribes—from their homes and placing them with non-Native, white families.
“The Brackeen case is not the first attack on ICWA, and it will not be the last. Now more than ever, the Institute is critically needed to counter the well-resourced and coordinated interests who continue to strike against the Indian Child Welfare Act and tribal sovereignty,” California Tribal Families Coalition Board Chairperson Maryann McGovran, a tribal council member of the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians in California, said in a statement.
Opponents of ICWA argue that the law discriminates on the basis of race and prioritizes the interest of tribes over the needs of the Native children it is supposed to protect. The challenge of ICWA has been brought by the state of Texas and three non-Native couples that have sought to adopt or foster three Native children, with one couple being supported by the mother of a child that was adopted.
McGovran added that bringing together thought leaders and experts in tribal social services will help to develop proactive strategies to counteract ongoing threats to Native culture and child removal.
The think tank will create official reports on the legal standing and interest of tribes in child welfare proceedings; develop a model for California state statutes that preserve tribal rights to participate in state child welfare proceedings and the right of tribes to protect their members in tribal child welfare proceedings; and draft models of legal briefs to support impactful litigation efforts to protect tribal roles in child welfare related cases, according to the agency’s press release.
CTFC has already begun meeting with tribal leaders and stakeholders to gather stories and perspectives.
More Stories Like This
50 Years of Self-Determination: How a Landmark Act Empowered Tribal Sovereignty and Transformed Federal-Tribal RelationsMuscogee Nation and City of Tulsa Reach Agreement on Criminal Jurisdiction and Public Safety Collaboration
Panel on Ethical Tribal Engagement at OU Highlights Healing, Research and Sovereignty
Groundbreaking Held for Western Navajo Pipeline Phase I – LeChee Water System Improvement Project
Navajo Citizens Voice Mixed Reactions to Trump’s Coal Executive Order at Public Hearing
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
