With their traditional tribal and kinship ties, Native Americans had lived for centuries without the concept of an unwanted child. But besieged by reservation life and boarding school acculturation, many tribes, with the encouragement of whites, came to accept the need for orphanages. This book tells the story of Indian orphanages within the…

Explores two historical periods that preceded the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978: the boarding and mission school era (1880s-1950s) and the Indian adoption era (1950s-70s). The assimilationist social welfare policy of those two eras led to the eventual need for special legislation that protects tribal self-determination, heritage, and family…

Due to the rural environment in which most Indian tribal human service personnel work, paraprofessional staff rarely have access to professional education programs that will enable them to expand their theoretical knowledge, enhance their practical skills, and advance their careers. Indian child welfare workers encounter complex tasks daily, which…

The rural environment in which most Indian tribal human service personnel work impedes the access of paraprofessional staff to professional education programs that will enable them to expand their theoretical knowledge, enhance their practical skills, and advance their careers. Each day, child welfare workers encounter complex tasks that require…

This article examines foster care and adoption, health, and education of poor Indian children. The paper first explains the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, gives a historical overview of injustices done to American Indians, and reviews recent court rulings and federal and state action in regard to the Indian Child Welfare Act. The paper then has…

The annotated sourcebook provides 51 journals and publication citations for individuals seeking to learn or to teach others about cultural issues in social work practice with American Indians and about the Indian Child Welfare Act. The citations, which date from 1969-1984, are divided into four sections pertaining to family/cultural issues in…

Federal awareness that Indians existed as self-governing, political entities gave rise to congressional action during the 1970s that produced significant Indian rights legislation. Article discusses the Congressional Indian legislation enacted during the past decade. (DS)

This collection of works by Native American writers reveals the political use by the U.S. and Canadian governments of schooling, adoption, and child welfare services to erase tribal identity and sovereignty. Seven tales in part 1 reflect various Native perspectives about the value and place of children in Native cultures. They provide background…