I have never done a Matching Mondays post, but today I feel compelled to do so.
The past couple of weeks as I’ve searched through profiles of Waiting Children online, there were a few profiles in particular which kept sticking out to me. These profiles had something very specific in common: they featured sibling groups of children of Native American descent who are part of a federally recognized tribe. I must have been born the wrong ancestry because as a prospective adoptive parent who has absolutely no known trace of Native American ancestry in my “boring” pasty white European lineage, but who is drawn to Native American culture and history, I would not be able to make an inquiry about these children due to regulations set forth in the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
HOWEVER, someone else out there might be interested in adopting these children who also meets the following criteria:
- Has a completed home study or foster care license
- Is interested in adopting a sibling group, AND
- You (or your spouse) can provide proof of being part of a federally recognized Indian tribe
5 comments:
FeatherSky- I accidentally deleted your comment on my tiny phone screen, but I would contact the tribal leaders and ask them about what you need to do to provide proof.
Our daughter is part (1/64) Native American. Neither of us has any Native American blood. Working through the adoption in accordance with ICWA was challenging, but doable (obviously). It helped that we hired an attorney who specializes in Native American Law and especially that Olivia's birth dad's aunt is the the chief of the tribe.
Very interesting, Sally! I've heard that regulations vary according to each tribe. Thank goodness for your attorney's extra knowledge and the tribal connection.
Each tribe does its own thing. Some are definitely trickier to work with than others. We got lucky all the way around!
Interesting read! Native American Culture is fascinating to me.
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