Virtual Roundtable on the Indian Child Welfare Act

On Tuesday, May 9 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) held a virtual roundtable to discuss the history and significance of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). ICWA is a more than 40-year-old law that protects the well-being and best interests of Native children and families in state child welfare systems. In the past several years, ICWA has faced a series of legal challenges, the most prominent being the Brackeen v. Haaland Supreme Court case.
The virtual roundtable will feature expert panelists to discuss the history of ICWA and the role Congress can play to strengthen ICWA and protect Native children and families. This is the first congressional convening to examine ICWA since the onset of recent litigation efforts.
- Panelists -
Mr. Jack Trope
Senior Director for Indian Child Welfare Programs
Casey Family Programs
Seattle, WA
Ms. Veronica Krupnick
Foster Youth Advocacy Programs Coordinator
CASA First
Santa Fe, NM
Hon. Karen Returns to War
Co-Chair
Northern Arapaho Business Council
Ft. Washakie, WY
Ms. Maggie Blackhawk
Professor of Law
NYU School of Law
New York, NY
* This video has been re-uploaded to fix audio issues at the beginning of the event. The original livestream with the audio issues remains accessible; please reach out if you require access.
ABOUT OUR COMMITTEE
The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources considers legislation and conducts congressional oversight on all issues within the Committee’s jurisdiction, including the ongoing climate crisis; environmental justice; public lands, waters, oceans, wildlife, and cultural resources; energy development and mining; Indigenous affairs; the U.S. Insular Areas; and all activities of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.
COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS' MISSION
Under the leadership of Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva, House Natural Resources Committee Democrats advance meaningful, justice-oriented solutions to fight climate change, pursue a healthier, more sustainable planet, and elevate the interests of Indigenous Peoples and residents of U.S. Insular Areas.
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[@ThomasAbeyta-np9kt]

I hope this committee knows how valuable it is to post these discussions openly for us to view. My state has a representative who sits on this committee, and furthermore as a citizen these issues of justice and equal treatment for first Americans matters greatly to me. I learn from those you bring to testify, and I criticize and praise ideas that I hear and remember them when it’s time to vote. I’m very pleased with this committee on this issue, but there’s a lot more to go. Keep up the good work and please keep posting these discussions openly for your voters to see, it matters to us. And the kids you’re speaking of, may just be listening too because this applies to them.