[ [link removed] ]Deb Haaland for New Mexico[ [link removed] ]Deb Haaland for New Mexico





This weekend marks two years since the Supreme Court issued its ruling in
Haaland v. Brackeen, which reaffirmed the constitutionality of ICWA, or
the Indian Child Welfare Act.

I feel a deep connection to this case — and not only because I was named
as the petitioner. As the Secretary of the Interior, I represented our
government and its legal and moral obligation to the 574 federally
recognized Native American tribes across our country.

This case was personal because I am a product of the horrific assimilation
policies that ICWA was enacted to finally end. My maternal grandparents
were stolen from their families when they were only eight years old and
were forced to live away from their parents, culture, and communities.
Many children like them never made it back home.

Over nearly 100 years, tens of thousands of Indigenous children were taken
from their communities and forced into boarding schools run by religious
institutions and the U.S. government. Many children were doused with DDT
upon arrival, and as their coerced re-education got underway, they endured
physical abuse for speaking their tribal languages or practicing their
traditions.

But these brutal assimilation practices didn’t end with the closure of the
Indian boarding schools – they evolved. In the 1950s and 1960s, Native
children were routinely ripped away from their families, tribes, and
culture by social workers and placed into non-Native homes through the
adoption and foster care system. ICWA was finally passed in 1978 as a
direct response to the forced separation of Native children from their
families, homes, and culture.

When the Supreme Court voted 7-2 to reaffirm ICWA two years ago, it was a
welcome affirmation across Indian Country of what presidents and
congressional majorities on both sides of the aisle have recognized for
four decades: Native families belong together.

It’s so important that we know our history, no matter how painful. I
believe we must face hard truths in our pursuit of justice and progress.
That’s why I’ve been traveling to every corner of our state to listen to
the stories and struggles of working New Mexicans. With every
conversation, I feel a renewed sense of hope. Together, we will heal our
wounds and enact smart, bold policies that make life better for every
family across New Mexico.

[ [link removed] ]If you’re with me in this fight, will you make your first $5 contribution
to our grassroots campaign for New Mexico? I’m beyond grateful for every
ounce of support.



[ [link removed] ]Donate $5 »



Be fierce,

Deb









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