Indian Country braces for U.S. Supreme Court hearing in ICWA case

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The nation’s highest court is about to hear one of the biggest cases in Indian Country’s history and already some troubling signs are emerging.

During oral arguments for a pair of closely-watched affirmative action cases on Monday, one member of the U.S. Supreme Court attempted to bring American Indians into the debate. But the questions posed by Justice Samuel Alito were not about respecting the sovereignty of tribal nations or upholding the U.S. government’s trust and treaty responsibilities.

Instead, Alito — who is part of the high court’s conservative supermajority — appeared to reduce Indian people and their legal status to one of race. That very issue is at the heart of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) case that will be heard next week.

https://www.indianz.com/News/2022/11/01/indian-country-braces-for-u-s-supreme-court-hearing-in-icwa-case/