Last week, the Supreme Court upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act, which is a landmark 1978 legislation aimed at preventing Native foster children and adoptees from being separated from their families and tribes. Last week’s ruling represents a victory for Native tribes, who argued that the case threatened the basic tenets of Native sovereignty. It’s also a blow to the plaintiffs in the case – the state of Texas, along with three non-Native couples who wanted to adopt Native children – they tried to overturn the law, saying that it discriminated based on race, and that the federal government was overly intrusive. Joining us to discuss is Nancy Marie Spears is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation and the Indigenous children and families reporter for The Imprint – an independent daily news outlet focused on the nation’s child welfare and youth justice systems. Her latest article is titled, Indian Child Welfare Act Stands, Native Families Empowered.
Follow Nancy Marie Spears‘ coverage on The Imprint: https://imprintnews.org/author/nancy-marie-spears
Check out Nancy Marie Spears’ website: https://nancymariespears.weebly.com/
Then, Montana is one of the states in our country signing anti-queer and anti-transgender laws – among the rash of laws signed just this year, since January, in Montana, are laws that allow healthcare providers to refuse patients based on conscience, that define biological sex as only male or female, that prevent gender-affirming medical care for transgender kids, and that prohibit drag shows and drag story hours if there are minors present. These new laws will hurt Montana’s transgender residents – and that’s essentially their intention. Our guest today is raising a more specific concern, and says that Montana’s anti-transgender laws will hurt Indigenous peoples’ religious expression. Rosalyn LaPier, is an indigenous writer, environmental historian, ethnobotanist, and a professor of history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Rosalyn is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Tribe of Montana and Métis.
Read Rosalyn LaPier’s latest publication: https://theconversation.com/new-anti-transgender-laws-will-hurt-indigenous-peoples-rights-and-religious-expression-205742
Check out Rosalyn LaPier’s website: https://www.rosalynlapier.com/
Follow Rosalyn LaPier on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rozlapier
This week’s Resistance in Residence Artist is cellist, composer, and vocalist Mia Pixley.
Check out Mia Pixley’s website: https://miapixley.com/
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