News Item

Reclaiming our children: A story of the Indian Child Welfare Act

Posted on Jul 12, 2007

Subject: A Native Voices Film Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Native Voices presents, a new documentary film....

SYNOPSIS:
The wholesale separation on Indigenous children from their families is perhaps the most tragic and destructive aspect of Indian life today.
Historical trauma has shaken the foundation of the Indian Family while mainstream expectations about what makes a good home continue to conflict with expectations that tribal communities and families hold.

Prior to 1978, Indian children were being placed in foster care at a nationwide rate 10-20 times higher than non-Native children. These children often lost all connections with their families, extended families, tribes, and cultural heritage.
Public Law 95-608, the Federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 was passed to remedy the problem of disproportionately large numbers of Indian children being placed in foster care. The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) requires that Indian children be placed in Indian homes for foster care or adoption and gives the child’s tribe certain rights to participate in the placement procedure.

This documentary is an examination of the Child Welfare System, the Indian Child Welfare Act and the laws that work against it.

LENGTH: 28 minutes
DIRECTOR: Marcella Ernest (Ojibwe)
CONTACT: ICWfilm@yahoo.com
(for ordering, and screening information please contact email above)

Posted by CalICWA Webmaster