Overturning ICWA, would undermine sovereign tribal rights. Striking down this law could threaten guards over tribal water and land rights, and casinos, too. ICWA is more than a law. It implies a promise that harm done by forced assimilation won’t happen again.
Each child-welfare case is different. It’s heart-wrenching to imagine the pain of losing a child to another family after becoming attached. But tribes must maintain authority. It keeps a Native child’s culture and heritage a matter of importance.