Dear ,
Please be sure to tune in to NPR's "All Things Considered" today to hear important updates on our fight to stop South Dakota from illegally taking hundreds of Native American children each year into state-run foster care. Over the last six months, the Lakota People's Law Project has worked closely with South Dakota's Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) directors to tell Congress about rampant violations of ICWA in South Dakota. That work is now complete. The outcome is two comprehensive reports that detail the extent of South Dakota's ICWA violations, expose the financial incentives behind their actions, and outline steps for addressing the problem. Thankfully, NPR will cover the response by lawmakers to these reports, which were endorsed by seven tribal councils in South Dakota representing 98% of enrolled Lakota tribal members! Now that Congress will know the extent of the problem in South Dakota, we are petitioning lawmakers to hold field hearings in Rapid City this spring. These field hearings will combine powerfully with a summit on Lakota foster care now being planned for April 15-17 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Please join us by adding your signature to the petition! It was in large part due to your contribution to our e-signature campaign last fall to pressure the BIA to hold a summit that one is now scheduled. Pressure works. Thanks to all of you who signed. Don't forget to tune in to NPR's "All Things Considered" today for the full story. And please tell your friends to do the same! Pilamaya—Thank you The Lakota People's Law Project Organizing Team Five ICWA directors from South Dakota, and one Lakota grandmother. From left to right: Terry Yellow Fat, (Standing Rock) Diane Garreau (Cheyenne River), Eileen Brown (grandmother, Standing Rock), Evelyn Pilcher (Sisseton-Wahpeton), Raymond Cournoyer (Yankton), Juanita Sherrick (Pine Ridge) You can support our research and investigative work by making a donation to the Lakota Child Legal Action Fund. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[email protected]?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
