NCJ Number
202619
Date Published
June 2003
Length
201 pages
Annotation
This resource guide for juvenile and family court judges presents information regarding the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and other legally pertinent issues facing tribal communities.
Abstract
The goal of the guide is to provide judges who hear cases involving Native American children with the resources and information to fully comply with the ICWA. The focus of the resource guide is on Native American child custody issues, but information on agencies and organizations that provide services and technical information on Indian issues are also included. Following a brief introduction to the guide, an overview of the pertinent Indian issues is presented and includes information concerning tribal sovereignty. Frequently asked questions about tribal issues and tribal courts are also presented. The next section provides information about the Indian Child Welfare Act and includes information about when the ICWA applies and issues concerning notice requirements, placement preferences, and voluntary consent. An alphabetical listing of data on each State’s Indian population and contact information for national organizations is presented in the following section. The presence of absence of State ICWA Specialists is noted for each State. Data are also presented for the Secretary and Department of the Interior and for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Regional Offices, and a listing of State ICWA Specialists is provided. Appendices include information on National Indian Organizations, tribal contact information, and educational resources. Figures, tables