Sioux City Journal

March draws attention to foster care issues

By Travis Coleman Journal Staff Writer | Posted: Thursday, November 22, 2007

SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- For the fifth time, Ida Tuttle carried a picture of her then 11-month old nephew, Kristopher, for the annual March and Rally for Our Lost Children Wednesday.

The memory of her nephew helped Tuttle cross the Veteran's Bridge here despite the day's 20 mph winds. Carrying Kristopher's picture helped Tuttle's family find him after pictures of a previous march were published. Kristopher, now 6, lives in Tama, Iowa with a foster family.

"But he is always with us," Tuttle said.

Tuttle was one of more than 125 American Indians that marched to draw attention to what they called the continued overrepresentation of Indian children in foster care. Marchers also remembered the Indian children who have died while in foster care.

Each marcher carried a sign with a different message. Co-coordinator Frank LaMere's sign read, "Sioux City, you're beginning to make us mad."

"The support for our efforts runs deep in this community," LaMere said.

Despite some recent success, the number of area Indian children in foster care remains disproportionate, LaMere said. For example, Indian children represent around 2 percent of the child population in Woodbury County, but make up around 15 percent of children in foster care.

According to a report released Monday, Nebraska and South Dakota are the fifth- and eighth-worst states in terms of the disproportionate number of Indian children in foster care. The report was published by the National Indian Child Welfare Association and the Kids Are Waiting campaign of the Pew Charitable Trusts. The report called for tribes to have more access to federal dollars that help Indian children needing foster care, which they don’t always get.

Wednesday's group admonished local Court Appointed Special Advocates and Guardians Ad Litem programs, saying they don't work for Indian children. After marching from the Marina Inn to downtown Sioux City, they said these programs need to follow cultural competency and active effort tabs found in the Indian Child Welfare Act laws.

"We challenge Woodbury County to get in line with the (IWCA) instead of against it," LaMere said.

When Indian children are taken from their families and not returned, it disrupts their identity development, said Sandy White Hawk of the St. Paul-based First Nations Orphan Association.

State Sen. Steve Warnstadt of Sioux City said although "there's still a lot of injustice," local voices are being heard. Gov. Chet Culver wrote a letter to LaMere dated Monday that said Iowa's policy is that Indian foster children be kept in their communities and connected to their culture.

"It is through actions such as this march that important issues are brought to the public attention and progress is made," Culver wrote.

Along with holding others accountable, LaMere told residents to hold each other responsible for actions that could result in their children being taken from them or other problems.

"Let us chide one another. That's how it used to be," LaMere said.

Story Comments

vanida wrote on Nov 23, 2007 11:38 AM:

" "The March" itself makes a statement that the actual parents have not and probably won't forget these children that have been placed in foster care under a presumption that may have or may not have been proven they are able to parent. That is due to much of the sterotype that is given to "any" parent whom their children have been taken from them, as being an unfit parent. I am one of those (and no I am not Indian)whom had their child taken from them and not returned to them and now my child is currently deceased. This comment is for those who think that only those who depend on the system for money to live day by day, that sterotype is also untrue, I work for a living with quite a good income and business. Yet I am unable to convince those with the power to make a wise and informed decision, when already they have a predetermination on what they plan on doing with your kids before you are able to even see a judge on the matter... "

"lot of injustice"?? wrote on Nov 22, 2007 10:03 PM:

" Tell us Senator Warnstadt: Who is being unjust and how are they being unjust? "

sheila wrote on Nov 22, 2007 9:55 PM:

" Ever wonder why so MANY Indian children wind up in foster care? Ever wonder why so few Indian people qualify as foster parents, or even apply to do so? If these children were being cared for in the first place, they would not end up in foster care with their "identity development" disrupted. What's the priority here? "Identity development"? Or a safe, secure and decent place for a child to live? Clean your own house becfore you criticize someone else's housekeeping. "

John2 in Morningside wrote on Nov 22, 2007 3:28 PM:

" What LaMere fails to understand is that ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) gives tribes the ability to take these cases away from courts (like Woodbury County) and place jurisdiction in the Tribal courts IF the tribe wants to do that. So if Woodbury County is not "in line" with IWCA, the tribal court can simply move the entire judicial process to the tribal court. Just for the record, I am a member of the Santee Tribe of Nebraska, a parent, and a state licensed foster parent of 2 foster children. Mr. LaMere, please take time to learn the facts rather than constantly seek the spotlight. "

John in Morningside wrote on Nov 22, 2007 3:22 PM:

" This march was a waste of time. If LaMere is unhappy with the high number of indian children in foster care, then he should do something to improve the parent's abilities so that they don't end up depositing their children in foster care. LaMere could better help by expanding efforts such as "Positive Indian Parenting" (PIP). Unfortunately, this is often more about LaMere wanting the spotlight. "