In re Taylor M., January 30, 2025 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine.)
Read the full opinion at the National Indian Law Library.
Maine
In re I.R., July, 28, 2015, (Maine)
Synopsis provided by Westlaw: The Department of Health and Human Services initiated child protection proceedings with regard to mother’s child. The District Court, Portland, Powers, J., entered judgment terminating mother’s parental rights. Mother appealed. Holdings provided by Westlaw: The Supreme Judicial Court held that: (1) the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) did not apply to … Read more
TRC Report Asserts Cultural Genocide Practiced in Maine
The final report of the Maine Wabanaki‑State Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was released at a closing ceremony on June 14 in Hermon. In their letter in the final report, the five commissioners… state that to improve Native child welfare, Maine and the tribes must continue to confront underlying racism still found in state institutions … Read more
If Truth be Told (Congress Blog)
For more than a century, the governments of Canada and the United States pursued a policy of forcible removal of indigenous children from their homes and communities. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada recently released a report on these removal practices, recognizing them to be part of a policy of “cultural genocide.” On June … Read more
Maine Attorney General Backs Defense of ICWA
AUGUSTA, Maine — Attorney General Janet Mills announced Thursday that she has signed on to a case in the U.S. Supreme Court, urging the full enforcement of the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act. The Indian Child Welfare Act spells out federal standards meant to ensure that the rights of Native American children, their parents and … Read more
Maine, Tribes Seek ‘Truth And Reconciliation’ (NPR)
In Maine, an unusual and historic process is under way to document child welfare practices that once resulted in Indian children being forcibly removed from their homes. Many of the native children were placed with white foster parents. Chiefs from all five of Maine’s tribes, along with Gov. Paul LePage, have created a Truth and … Read more
A Practical Guide to the Indian Child Welfare Act
The Guide is intended to answer questions and provide a comprehensive resource of information on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The online version at http://www.narf.org/icwa was created as a complement to the print version of the Guide, which was printed by the Native American Rights Fund in 2007. While the topical sections are identical … Read more