Because federal ICWA protections are under attack in Brackeen v. Haaland, states need to have legislation in place like House Bill 1536 that recognizes tribal sovereignty and a tribe’s inherent interest in their Indigenous children’s welfare. 

If ICWA is overturned, states would be allowed to forcibly remove Native children from their families, tribes, and culture while simultaneously depriving tribes of future generations of members — putting the very existence of tribes in jeopardy.

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination urged the United States government to implement broader policies to address systemic racism and structural racial discrimination at the federal, state, local, and tribal level..

If the Indian Child Welfare Act is overturned, tribes will again be stripped of their right to keep their families together. This is a tragedy as we know that having connection to our cultures, languages and identities is in the best interest of Native children.

Our right to protest in the streets is essential, and it shouldn’t depend on the location or other characteristics of the specific road we choose.