{"id":40509,"date":"2026-11-01T00:32:57","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T05:32:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/accountability-for-policies-that-protect-indigenous-children\/"},"modified":"2026-11-01T00:32:59","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T05:32:59","slug":"accountability-for-policies-that-protect-indigenous-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/accountability-for-policies-that-protect-indigenous-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Accountability for policies that protect Indigenous children"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jory Low Dog (Courtesy photo)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Column courtesy West River Eagle<\/em><\/p>\n

When Indigenous children enter foster care, the expectation is that they will receive safety, stability, medical care, education, and the support necessary to maintain their connections to family, culture, and tribe. But what happens when the systems responsible for protecting them fail to communicate, coordinate, and take responsibility?<\/p>\n

My concerns arise from an experience involving five Indigenous children placed in my foster mother\u2019s home within the Oglala Sioux Tribe\u2019s child welfare context. As someone who has witnessed these circumstances firsthand and assisted on multiple occasions in attempts to contact government leadership for help, I believe the experience warrants a thorough review.<\/p>\n

My purpose is to identify gaps, ask difficult questions, and advocate for changes that protect children and prevent other families from facing similar circumstances. My purpose is not to condemn an entire tribal government or assume that every agency or individual failed in their responsibilities.<\/p>\n

The five children remained in placement for more than four years without their tribal enrollment being resolved, despite enrollment applications having been submitted. During that time, my foster mother continued providing care while concerns remained about enrollment, available resources, and the responsibilities of the agencies involved.<\/p>\n

Enrollment is not the same as legal placement, and eligibility for individual tribal benefits depends on the applicable rules. However, prolonged enrollment delays raise important questions about application processing, communication between departments, and whether the children\u2019s tribal connections and eligibility for services were appropriately addressed.<\/p>\n

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), enacted in 1978, was established in response to the historical removal of Indigenous children from their families and communities. It recognizes the importance of tribal participation and establishes protections concerning jurisdiction, notice, placement preferences, and the preservation of family and tribal relationships.<\/p>\n

Under federal law, the definition of an Indian child can include a child eligible for tribal membership who is the biological child of a tribal member. An unresolved enrollment application does not automatically mean ICWA protections are inapplicable.<\/p>\n

The experience raises important questions: Were these children appropriately identified, were their enrollment applications processed in a timely manner, and did the responsible agencies coordinate their efforts while the applications remained unresolved?<\/p>\n

Another serious concern involved an infant who transitioned into my foster mother\u2019s care following birth. As I witnessed the circumstances, clear placement and guardianship documentation was not available to establish the arrangement and clarify the responsibilities of the parties involved. There were also concerns about the prolonged absence of clear documentation and established arrangements for the child\u2019s care.<\/p>\n

The concerns extended to the children\u2019s access to medical benefits, medical care, mental health services, and evaluations. They also needed guardianship or other legally recognized documentation to address school enrollment and educational decision-making.<\/p>\n

My foster mother used her own personal finances to provide for the children. I assisted repeatedly in attempts to contact tribal government leadership to seek support, including help with school clothing and other necessities for which the children may have qualified.<\/p>\n

During the period when tribal American Rescue Plan Act funding was being distributed, to my knowledge no payment was provided for the five children in her care. Whether the children qualified depends on the applicable tribal resolution and eligibility requirements, and that question deserves a documented answer.<\/p>\n

The most alarming part of this experience is the possibility that these concerns may not be isolated. When a child welfare system is struggling, the community deserves to know whether effective safeguards are in place to ensure that every child in care is accounted for, every placement is appropriately documented, and every child\u2019s needs are being addressed.<\/p>\n

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has an opportunity to examine these concerns as a proactive measure to strengthen its own child welfare policies, administrative procedures, and relationships with state agencies.<\/p>\n

The experiences described within the Oglala Sioux Tribe should be viewed as a reason for all tribal governments to ask an important question: Are our systems strong enough to ensure that no Indigenous child becomes lost between placement, enrollment, health care, education, and financial responsibility?<\/p>\n

I encourage the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe to consider a preventive internal review of its child welfare processes. Such a review could identify gaps before they result in prolonged uncertainty for children and caregivers. It could also establish measurable standards for case documentation, interagency communication, and follow-through.<\/p>\n

Potential improvements could include a standardized placement checklist, a designated case coordinator for every child, enrollment follow-up procedures, verification of medical coverage, educational transition protocols, and a documented process for identifying and escalating unresolved needs.<\/p>\n

The tribe could also examine whether its existing policies clearly identify which department or agency is responsible for each task, what deadlines apply, and how compliance is monitored. Proactive review is a responsible way to identify vulnerabilities, strengthen safeguards, and ensure that policies reflect the needs of children and families.<\/p>\n

Tribal sovereignty and effective state collaboration are not opposing principles. They must work together in ways that respect tribal authority while ensuring that children receive the protections and services they need.<\/p>\n

The state and tribal governments have different responsibilities depending on the circumstances of each case. That makes communication, clear agreements, and coordinated case management essential.<\/p>\n

There should be established procedures for sharing appropriate information, clarifying placement authority, coordinating enrollment inquiries, resolving medical-benefit barriers, addressing educational needs, and identifying who is responsible when a case crosses agency boundaries.<\/p>\n

A caregiver should not have to contact multiple departments repeatedly to determine who can help. Nor should a child\u2019s needs remain unresolved because one agency assumes another is responsible.<\/p>\n

Effective partnerships require more than meetings and statements of cooperation. They require written protocols, designated contacts, clear timelines, documented decisions, and a reliable process for escalating unresolved concerns.<\/p>\n

They also require a willingness to review what went wrong without defensiveness and to make changes when evidence demonstrates that existing procedures are insufficient.<\/p>\n

As a social worker and advocate, my goal is to strengthen systems, identify gaps, improve communication, and build coordinating relationships between tribal governments and state agencies.<\/p>\n

Any proposed policy should be developed in consultation with tribal leadership, child welfare professionals, legal counsel, caregivers, and other relevant stakeholders. It should respect tribal sovereignty and applicable federal and state law while establishing clear, practical safeguards for children.<\/p>\n

The objective is to ensure that policies are implemented, responsibilities are assigned, performance is reviewed, and children receive the support the system is intended to provide. It is not simply to create another policy document.<\/p>\n

One of the children cared for by my foster mother eventually graduated, grew into adulthood, and moved out of her home. Yet I did not witness meaningful tribal recognition or involvement with that child through the experience described.<\/p>\n

That part of the experience reinforces why continuity matters. Children deserve opportunities to maintain appropriate connections to their tribal identity, culture, family, and community as they approach adulthood.<\/p>\n

The post Accountability for policies that protect Indigenous children<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Jory Low Dog (Courtesy photo) Column courtesy West River Eagle When Indigenous children enter foster care, the expectation is that they will receive safety, stability, medical care, education, and the support necessary to maintain their connections to family, culture, and tribe. But what happens when the systems responsible for protecting <\/p>\n

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Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> November 1, 2026<\/p>\n

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