Challenges Associated with Serving the Diverse Needs of American Indian Families through Current Provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act

Sonya Smith¹, Yanyi K. Djamba^2*

¹School of Public Service Leadership, Capella University, Minneapolis, USA.
²Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Geography, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/aasoci.2015.51003                

Abstract

Historical reviews of American Indian Culture reveal an indigenous population rooted in the dichotomy of societal misunderstanding and victimization. This dichotomy illustrates repeated occurrence of incidents involving the removal, assimilation or extinction of American Indian children. This analysis of the Indian Child Welfare Act focuses on the heart of American Indian culture which is the well-being of American Indian children. Information used in this paper comes from the review of literature, census data and oral narratives obtained through a convenience sample of American Indian people interviewed in Alabama. The results of this study reveal the diversity of American Indian people seen throughout the United States, as well as in the state of Alabama. Unfortunately, the provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act are only intended for American Indian children from federally recognized tribes and exclude American Indian children from state recognized tribes. This study concludes with a discussion of the contributions and limitations of the Indian Child Welfare Act and calls for expanded services to serve all American Indian populations in the United States.

Keywords

American Indian, Indian Child Welfare Act, Alabama, United States

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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