Generations Stolen | Indian Child Welfare Act
Clip: Season 7 Episode 5 | 2m 2sVideo has Closed Captions
The Senate hearing and grassroots movement that led to the Indian Child Welfare Act.
At a 1974 Senate hearing on the Indian child welfare program, Native mothers like Cheryl Spider DeCoteau spoke about their experiences with raising their children and the policies that challenge their ability. What these women said, and the grassroots movement that followed, led to was the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 - the law is meant "...to protect the best interest of Indian Children..."
Funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Wyncote Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Generations Stolen | Indian Child Welfare Act
Clip: Season 7 Episode 5 | 2m 2sVideo has Closed Captions
At a 1974 Senate hearing on the Indian child welfare program, Native mothers like Cheryl Spider DeCoteau spoke about their experiences with raising their children and the policies that challenge their ability. What these women said, and the grassroots movement that followed, led to was the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 - the law is meant "...to protect the best interest of Indian Children..."
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- We have called these hearings today to begin to define the specific problems that American Indian families face in raising their children.
- This was an unknown issue in the Congress, and we had to make it a known issue.
- Well, they always come to me and said that I wasn't, I wasn't a very good mother and everything and that my children would be better off if they were in a white home or if they were adopted out.
- They said that, but- [Cheryl] Yeah.
- Did they ever... Did- were they ever able to prove that in court or did they give anybody a specific example of why you weren't a good mother?
- It was never proven in court that she was unfit.
- We saw an issue that had to be addressed and you had grandmas and aunties gathering together and they were out there, fighting for our children.
- Several hundred Indians and their supporters walked from the Lincoln Memorial past the Washington Monument up to Capitol Hill today to support certain legislation, including one proposed law that will affect their right to decide what can happen to Indian children.
- We mounted a massive campaign to get this law through.
It was just jubilation, you know, just total jubilation.
(dramatic music) - The Indian Child Welfare Act, that was a blessing for our children.
Some of the kids were coming back from being out in foster care, and they were hurt.
Their spirit was hurt.
They didn't know where they belonged.
Their identity was gone.
You wanna make sure that your kids are safe.
Let us do our job.
Let us take care of our children, and it is our right.
It's our right to take care of them.
Generations Stolen | Indian Boarding Schools
Video has Closed Captions
Denise Lajimodiere (Ojibwe) talks about the traumatic history of Indian boarding schools. (51s)
Video has Closed Captions
Native communities work to overcome trauma from government policies separating families. (30s)
Video has Closed Captions
Native communities work to overcome trauma from government policies separating families. (1m 14s)
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
Funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Wyncote Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.