Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tribal Adoption Bill Progressing in CA, But are the right questions being asked?
The Press Enterprise reports that a bill to provide culturally sensitive adoptions for California Indian tribes has passed two major hurdles in the Assembly.
The measure would provide judges and tribes with an additional option to consider when deciding on the adoptions of Indian children who are dependents of the courts.
The method, known as customary adoption, would allow California Indian children to be adopted through tribal custom and traditions or based on the laws of the child's respective tribe.
The termination of parental rights, something frowned upon among many tribes, would not be required, marking it a first for adoptions in California, according to the legislation.
The bill passed the Assembly human services and judiciary committees late last month and now heads to the appropriations committee for review.
"A lot of kids are adrift. This way, you have that option of coming back into the Native American culture and community," said Inland Assemblyman Paul Cook, the bill's co-author.
"You belong to them," said Cook, R-Yucca Valley. "They will immerse you in that culture."
The bill is co-authored by Assemblyman Jim Beall, D-San Jose, and Cook said the bipartisan support should help the measure move through the Assembly.
No members voted against the bill in the two committees.
The bill, which is sponsored by the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, has widespread support among more than a dozen California tribes, including the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians.
OP: THIS is a JOKE. Pechanga is better known for destroying family ties to the tribe. They have eliminated 25% of their membership and they want to wipe the STAIN of that away by supporting an adoption bill? They have torn 100 CHILDREN AWAY FROM THE TRIBE and kept another 100 OUT.
The new adoption method would maintain a child's legal ties to the tribe, which is important for such things as inheritance, she said. Tribal adoptions also would allow contact with the child's birthparents, if safe and appropriate, she said.
"This is a decision the tribe makes," Currie said. "The tribe is involved in the process and the tribe is the only one who can say we want this to be a customary adoption."
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Custom and Tradition? Pechanga surley does not follow this.
The Indian Child Welfare Act - 1978
What's new about this?
"“The new adoption method would maintain a child's legal ties to the tribe, which is important for such things as inheritance, she said.”
A rider needs to be put on this bill that will also ensure the "legal ties" of dis-enrolled children.
Why would Pechanga support this, their constitution does not allow adoptions? Maybe the mexicans who claim themselves to be adopted indians, will start to adopt their owns kids to allow them to actually have legal ties to the tribe to secure their per caps.
I wonder when the formation of the DIS-Adoption Committe will begin?
hi i dont see no word of all the recent firings tuesday may 5th pechanga walked out many top executives in the table games department. was this more corruption there were a total of 10 high ranking supervisors some who had been there a long time and no reason given they were marching them all out one by one intersting to hear more about this story
But what about peole like Joe Liska, an adult, who is a direct blood descendant of a recognized Pechanga tribal member and who didn't know he was Pechanga until he found out who his birth parents are?
Mr. Liska is stuck in the moratorium so the tribe will not take him in as a tribal member.
It is good that Pechanga wants to take in children if they are of blood of the tribe but they should take in Mr. Liska as well.
Ironic, in that it was the members of the CPP faction of the tribe on the enrollment committee that opposed taking in blood Pechanga people who were adopted by other families saying that the adopted people would, after their adoption, take on the lineal descent of their adoptive parents.
So if the adopted person's new parents were not Pechanga, then the adopted person could not be a tribal member.
I don't think the CPP got their way on that issue.
I wonder what they are going to say about this current adoption issue because it could increase the number of tribal members and cut into their per capita payments.
I always thought that the reason Jenny Miranda supported peole taking the lineal descent of their adoptive parents is because Jenny's mother was adopted by another Pechanga family and her blood connection is questionable.
So if Jenny now takes on the lineal descent of her mother's adoptive parents, that would solidfy her family's claim on being Pechanga tribal members.
This is a bit off the subject but how would one obtain a membership application if the tribe is not allowing new members? Especially when the pechanga tribe fails to contact you. This is why they support the bill...they never will remove the moratorium to even allow adpoted descendants.
I think if you contact the enrollment committee you can get an application of try going to the government center and ask the receptionist for one.
If you get one, you should still submit it next January as the Band's constitution says open enrollment is the first month of each year.
Maybe they will actually follow their own constitution sometime in the future, sooner I hope than later.
But copy the application and keep submitting it every year.
It is amazing about how few current tribal members know what is going on and how they don't challenge the enrollment committee and the council and go to bat for their family members who are being kept out.
Some current members have the attitude that people had plenty of years to become members but those current members don't know that the CPP controlled enrollment committee buried applications that were in before the moratorium began and that people from the now disenrolled families brought to the attention of the tribal council but the council did nothing about it.
One of the reasons we are out of the tribe is because of this.
If they follow their Constitution there would be no adoptions. THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED. They weren't for Butch and they weren't for Jennie's family.
This situation is going on right now in my family! A representative from the tribe showed up at my cousin hearing and if a member of the family decides not to keep the baby then before the state is awarded custody the tribe has legal rights!!
O' and adding to the above... we are non-members!! WEIRD...HUH!!
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