Montana tribal leaders: Native Americans must remain vigilant despite ICWA decision
In a news release, Western Native Voice Deputy Director Ta’jin Perez said the ruling sends a strong message on the unique status of tribes and their inherent sovereignty. Western Native Voice has a mission to work with Native American communities on organizing, education and advocacy.
“All of us remain vigilant of future attacks on tribal sovereignty in whatever form they may take,” Perez said.
Chairman Stiffarm said ICWA is important for the Fort Belknap Community and for the Native community as it keeps children within their own tribes. ensuring they will stay connected to their own culture and spirituality and know where they come from.
If ICWA was overturned, Stiffarm said he believes the experiences of the past generation with boarding schools would have replayed itself. In many cases, Native children were forcibly removed from their homes, stripped of their cultures and brutalized.
“I think our children would have experienced what their moms, grandmothers, and grandfathers experienced when they were forced off to boarding schools,” Chairman Stiffarm said. “Other religions, cultures and their ideologies were forced upon them, and they wouldn’t have known their own culture or their people. That’s what would happen.”
Stiffarm also said he looks up to Windy Boy, saying he works hard and has a lot of respect in the legislature.
“I was very shocked that he got it (MICWA) passed within the state of Montana because this is a huge red state,” Stiffarm said. “Indian sovereignty is attacked daily by the legislators of the state. But what he does and what he has accomplished, and I think why it was passed, is out of respect for him. Because he’s been in there a long time.”
Stiffarm also said Native people can’t stop fighting the system, and all the reservations in Montana need to stick together when something like this subject comes up again.
“The ideology behind Donald Trump, and when he became president and his thoughts of the white race is the perfect race — these racist people came out of the woodwork and became more vocal,” Stiffarm said. “And it really became prevalent in the state of Montana. And like I said, we got to stand together and not back down.”