ICWA Bill
Air Date:02/10/2012
A bill to increase oversight of the state's implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act was dismissed by the State House of Representatives.
The bill defined the way the state's department of social services deals with Native Children.
Gwen Caldwell is the founder of an organization called Voice of woman. She says the organization focuses on ICWA issues. Caldwell says the state makes no reasonable effort to be in compliance of Federal law regarding Indian children.
"We need to protect the children, their heritage and their culture by mandating the department to comply with the laws that protect Indian children from becoming orphans with the swipe of a Judges pen and then the state reaping adoption bonuses from the federal government to commit genocide against South Dakota's family," Caldwell said.
But opponents say the bill is fraught with impractical application of the law and it may contradict the US constitution.
The committee agreed and killed the bill.
By Marcus Brooks
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