CHOCTAW, Miss. (WTOK) – The 12th annual Indian Child Welfare Act Conference will be held August 28 at the Silver Star Convention Center.
The opening ceremony at 8:30 a.m. will include a color guard parade by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the national anthem in the Choctaw language. Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben will greet conference attendees at 9:15 a.m.
| The Mississippi Administrative Office of the Courts said experts will speak on the history and application of the law during the program, titled “Pathways to Justice for Native American Children.” |
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| Mary Kathryn Nagle, an attorney and playwright whose work in the courtroom and on the stage focuses on tribal sovereignty and the protection of Native American women and children, will speak at 9:30 a.m.
Sheldon Spotted Elk, who will speak at noon, is senior director of judicial and national engagement at Casey Family Programs in Denver, Colorado. Christina C. Bell Andrews, executive director of the Wassaja Carlos Montezuma Center for Native American Health at the University of Arizona Health Sciences in Tucson, Arizona, will speak at 1:30 p.m. The conference will conclude with a panel discussion with representatives from the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services. The panel discussion is scheduled for 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. |
The conference is hosted by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians in cooperation with the Mississippi Judicial College, the Mississippi Administrative Office of Courts and the state Department of Child Protection Services.
ICWA establishes federal requirements for the removal and placement of Native American children in foster or adoptive families. ICWA’s goal is to preserve tribal culture and protect Native American children’s rights to their heritage.
Registration information can be found at this link.
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