The American Liberties Civil Union of South Dakota is joining other states in filing an amicus brief in defense of the Indian Childs Welfare Act. The friend of the court brief involves the U.S. Supreme Court case Brackeen VS. Haaland, which challenges the act that establishes federal standards for replacement of Native American children in foster or adoptive homes. The act seeks to give the child’s family and tribe the opportunity to be involved in decisions that previously they may have been excluded from like, placement and services, arguments in the case are scheduled before the high court this November.
U.S. Inflation surge to a new four decade high in June, squeezing household budgets with painfully high prices for gas, food, and rent. Traditional indigenous foods like wild rice, bison, fresh vegetables, and fruit in the Midwest are often unavailable or to unexpected for Native families in urban areas like Chicago, and the recent inflation spike has propelled these foods even further out of reach. Healthy eating is key to battling diabetes which effects Native Americans at the highest rate of any ethnic group in the United States.
The Truth and Healing commission on the Indian boarding school policy act would establish and fund a truth and healing commission to formally investigate and document the impacts on ongoing effects of historic and intergenerational trauma in Native communities. South Dakotas Native American population is about 75,000 people according to the 2020 census. The Truth and Healing commission on Indian boarding school policies act has 24 co-sponsors of the senate bill, South Dakota senators John Thune and Mike Rounds are not on the list of supporters.