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Support Info: If you are a Survivor and need emotional support, a national crisis line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week: Residential School Survivor Support Line: 1-866-925-4419. Additional Health Support Information: Emotional, cultural, and professional support services are also available to Survivors and their families through the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program. Services can be accessed on an individual, family, or group basis.” These & regional support phone numbers are found at https://nctr.ca/contact/survivors/ . THANK YOU MEGWETCH for reading

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email: tracelara@pm.me

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How to Open Closed Adoption Records for Native American Children (updated 2021)

Does the ICWA afford access to adoption records?

Two provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) provide a means for an adopted Indian to obtain information relating to his or her adoption. Section 1917 provides for release, upon application, of certain information by the court that entered the final decree. Section 1951(b) provides for a similar release of information by the Secretary of the Interior. As indicated by the nominal number of cases addressing this issue, access to adoption records is routinely provided to Indian adoptees in order to establish tribal membership. In only a few cases have the courts limited direct access of adoptees to their adoption records. In those cases, however, the Indian adoptees still obtained the necessary information to establish their tribal membership. See In re Mellinger, 672 A.2d 197, 199 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. 1996). See also In re Rebecca, 601 N.Y.S.2d 682, 683-84 (Sur. Ct. 1993). 

The Practical Guide's Resources Section contains a sample application.

 SOURCE


    •  
      In the book CALLED HOME (Book 2) (see sidebar) - we devote an entire chapter on how to use ICWA to open your adoption records to contact the tribe, and how to use DNA results. You will need legal help. Don't let that stop you.
       
      ***Some of us are told that records burned - that is usually a lie. The Catholic Charities and others will claim your parent is dead - that often turns out to be a lie.  In some families, as many as 10 children were sold and trafficked into adoption, especially if you were a Native mother.  Read the book series Lost Children of the Indian Adoption Projects for examples.

      REMEMBER - a closed adoption was sealed which meant secret for your lifetime - you were not supposed to know who you are... THIS BLOG IS here to address that.

      DNA testing is bypassing the stupid old laws.
      If you have no other choice, do a DNA test and find relatives. Sometimes that is the only solution when laws prevent us having our records (or our parents records.) 
       
      Important info from NARF
       
      CONTACT the Secretary of the Interior:
      https://www.doi.gov/contact-us

      Who may request access to adoption information?

      Under 1917, an "Indian individual who has reached the age eighteen and who was the subject of an adoptive placement" may apply to the court that rendered the final decree, while 1951(b) allows the "adopted child over the age of eighteen, the adoptive or foster parents of an Indian child, or an Indian tribe" to request the adoption information.

      Practice Tip:

      Sections 1917 and 1951 superficially differ in the Indian adoptee's required age before they can apply or request assistance from a state court or the Secretary of the Interior respectively. Section 1917 requires adoptees "who [have] reached the age of 18," while 1951 requires an adoptee "over the age of eighteen," which can mean nineteen years of age or older. It is likely that there is no intended difference in the age requirements between the two sections and that an Indian adoptee who is eighteen years old or older can request assistance from the state court or Secretary.

      What if an adopted Indian child does not know the court that entered the final adoption decree?

      Section 1951(a) requires state courts to provide information to the Secretary of the Interior concerning Indian adoptions. If an adoptee does not know the court that entered the final adoption decree, he or she can contact the Secretary through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). BIA offices are listed in this Practical Guide's Resources Section. As the federal agency charged with the responsibility to serve as the central registry, the BIA supposedly maintains the records of adopted Indian children since November of 1978. Although the BIA's registry may be extremely limited, in some instances, it may serve as a starting point for Indian adoptees who do not know the court that entered the final adoption decree. Alternatively, in some cases an adoptee may be successful in obtaining adoption records by contacting the adoption agency directly.

      Back to Question List

      15.5 - What role does the Secretary of the Interior have regarding an Indian adoptees access to his or her adoption records?

      Supposedly, under 1951(a) the Secretary of the Interior serves as a central registry for adoption records of Indian children since November 8, 1978. However, the registry in most cases is extremely limited and often times is unhelpful. Although, state courts entering adoption decrees involving Indian children are required to provide to the Secretary of the Interior the Indian child's adoption records, it is routinely overlooked. In any event the registry, in accordance with 1951, should include information that shows:

      (1) The name and tribal affiliation of the child;

      (2) The names and addresses of the biological parents;

      (3) The names and addresses of the adoptive parents; and

      (4) The identity of any agency having files or information relating to such adoptive placement.

      Should the registry contain pertinent records and upon a request by an adult Indian adoptee, adoptive parent(s) or Indian tribe, the Secretary is required to disclose the information necessary to establish tribal membership. 25 U.S.C. 1951(b). If the biological parent(s) indicate by affidavit to remain anonymous, the Secretary shall insure that the confidentiality of such information is maintained and such information is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 522 (2000). 25 U.S.C. 1951(a). To accommodate the confidentiality request, the Secretary can then certify the child's parentage or other information necessary to satisfy a tribe's enrollment requirements and establish the Indian adoptee's membership in that tribe. 25 U.S.C. 1951(b).

      ALSO: Make your voice heard!

      Call or write:

      Bureau of Indian Affairs
      Department of the Interior
      1849 C Street, N.W.
      MS-4606
      Washington, D.C. 20240

      Telephone: (202) 208-5116

      To request a meeting with the Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, please use the Meeting Request Form

      **

      The Bureau of Indian Affairs will issue a Certificate degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) that shows your blood quantum and tribal affiliation. You will want to contact the BIA agency that provides services to the tribe you’re claiming heritage from in order to obtain the CDIB card, that information can be found in the Tribal Leaders Directory.

       

      [https://www.ehow.com]

      The adoption of Native American children involves not only state adoption laws, but the federal Indian Child Welfare Act as well. This act was passed in 1978 in response to the number of children who were being placed for adoption or foster care in non-Native American families. Agencies with the authority to place Native American children for adoption must first seek placement within the child's extended family; then within the tribe; then within another Native American tribe; and then, if necessary, with a non-Native American family. While adoption laws seal records that provide identifying information such as names, parties involved in a Native American adoption have an additional resource in the tribe in the search for adoption information.

      Instructions

      • Gather information you have. While adoption documents given to adoptive parents and birth parents remove identifying information such as names and addresses, they do provide information and clues, such as date of placement and adoption history. You will need information such as birth dates and placement and adoption finalization dates to find the right records. It also helps to know which tribe or tribes were notified about the adoption.
      • 2
        Contact the lawyer or adoption agency involved in the adoption. In most states, if any of the parties involved in the adoption consented to give out identifying information at the time of the placement, the lawyer and agency will be able to supply the last known information.
      • 3
        Contact the tribal court that was notified of the adoption. The Indian Child Welfare Act requires tribe approval of the adoptive placement and requires that the tribe be provided copies of the adoption finalization for its records. Tell the tribal court what you are seeking and the reason for requesting the documents. Unless the reason for obtaining the information is a medical emergency, the court may deny your request or supply only non-identifying information.
      • 4
        File a petition in the state court where the adoption occurred. While the Indian Child Welfare Act governs how Native American children can be placed for adoption, the adoptions themselves are executed in accordance with state laws. Much like the tribal court, records with identifying information will not be released without consent of the other party or if there is a medical reason.

       

73 comments:

  1. Hello, My father was adopted from a native american reservation. He has since passed away and I have no way of finding out any information regarding my heritage other than where and when the adoption took place. It was a sealed adoption. I have been told I am not able to get any information other than this. Is this correct?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No that is not correct. Please email me: tracelara@pm.me

      Delete
  2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I was born of a marriage between a white woman (my mother) and a Cherokee man (my Father). My Mother remarried and her second husband adopt me in California which has sealed birth certificates. I am an adult I have found my siblings from my birth father who is deceased and want to file for Cherokee membership. I have all the Dawes Rolls information. Any suggestions how I can get California to release my OBC to me. I do have the original Adoption papers. The law firm and Attorney involved are no longer in business

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was adopted at the age of four along with for of my siblings. I have a name for my birth father. However, my siblings and I have spent many years trying to find him and he is like a ghost. We were told he is native American. After DNA testing, we now know that we are 25% native American. Any suggestions on how to locate someone who is a native American birth parent would be greatly appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I was adopted at the age of four along with for of my siblings. I have a name for my birth father. However, my siblings and I have spent many years trying to find him and he is like a ghost. We were told he is native American. After DNA testing, we now know that we are 25% native American. Any suggestions on how to locate someone who is a native American birth parent would be greatly appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MY NEW EMAIL: laratrace@outlook.com - send all the info you have.

      Delete
  6. i was placed into foster care at the age of three. Bounced back and forth a couple times before being adopted by my original foster parents, around age 10. Long story short im now 25, this last year i was contacted by DSFC stating that I belonged to Seneca Nation of Indians. Now from the research i have done its my understanding that my foster parents should have been aware of this, and at the age of 18 it was my right to be given this information. Of course there are many parts to my story which include not only being in the system from 3 to 10 but back again from 15 to almost the day i turned 18. There are many questions i have about the ICWA in regards to my own adoption. Please let me know if you can point me in the right direction and help would be much appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tiffany, YES, we can assist you. Email me your info and I will forward to Karen Vigneault who helps adoptees search and reconnect. EMAIL: larahentz@yahoo.com

      Delete
    2. NEW EMAIL: laratrace@outlook.com

      Delete
  7. Hello,

    My name Is Yvette. I did a genealogy test that proved I am 58% Northern Native American. I was five years old the first time I asked my parents, if I was adopted. The response that I received let me know then that there was some truth to it. I remember going to the reservations in Colorado and Wyoming for the Stomp Dance and Powwows. At teh age of ten to twelve we stopped. I asked my dad if he was my dad, he said yes. Then I asked if my mom was my mom and he started crying. After that I never asked again. Now I need to know more then ever. There are so many different stories from different people in my family about my mom being pregnant with me it's crazy. I have been searching nonstop. Please help me find my family.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. I know who my father is. It's my mother I'm trying to find.

      Delete
    3. new email: Please email: kumeyaayindian@hotmail.com and tell Karen as much info as you can

      Delete
  8. My great-grandmother was taken from her birth family in the early 1900's. She was "adopted" by a large Christian white family, but she was old enough to have a lot of identity issues (understandably!) and she ran away from her adoptive family at the age of 14. She signed on as a cook with a traveling threshing crew and searched for her birth family but wasn't able to find them. Eventually, she married my great-grandfather and settled in North Dakota. She was originally born to a Métis family in Canada, but the family that she was adopted by were living in northern Michigan. I have participated in a DNA study that clearly demonstrates my great-grandmother was genetically nearly 100% Métis, and I have historical letters confirming the location of her birth family, with some names, as well as the full names and past addresses and church missionary history of the family that adopted her. The living descendants of the adoptive family confirmed my great-grandmother's basic life story, although they tend to see the role of their family as having "saved" her, rather than the reality, which is their family having stolen her. They also refuse to further discuss what made her run away, etc. so I'm not able to get information directly from the family at this point. I have letters and some videos in which my great-grandmother writes and speaks in a French-Gaelic influenced native Métis language. What would be the best way for me to proceed in trying to identify her birth family and tribe? This story and her journey are an important part of my family's legacy and we really want to try to map out what happened and hopefully reconnect with members of her birth family. Her early life was very heartbreaking, and even as a young child, I always felt a deep sadness when I was within her presence. She didn't like to talk about her childhood, and she lovingly embraced the family she married into as the only family she had. She had an amazing and mostly happy adult life, but she was never fully the person she could have been if she hadn't been torn away from her family as a child and had her identity whitewashed. As a long-time social worker who specializes in working with troubled teens, I begin to understand her and what she likely went through, largely through gaining an understanding of my current clients' lives and struggles to find a sense of identity and place. Any advice or suggestions of where to go from here are very much appreciated! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please email: kumeyaayindian@hotmail.com and tell Karen as much info as you can

      Delete
  9. I have tried the e-mail above to larahentz@yahoo.com, and it says it has been disabled... any current info on anyone who can help??

    I need help... My daughter is 1/4 Native American. Her father is half and his father was adopted off a reservation back in 1/07/1949. Since the grandfather has passed away from severe alcoholism (2012), and the trail stops with him... What I do know is his DOB, he was adopted out of Mendocino County, California when he was 10 years old by a white family. The birth fathers name might have been Gabriel Nava and the grandfather was adopted by Kenneth and Mary Edward Killary. It is believed the adoptive mother may still be alive, but due to divorce over 20 years ago, her name might have changed... The tribes thought to be involved are Mescalero Apache (bio mother) and Yaqui (bio father).
    Is there any chance at locating the adoption records and requesting they be unsealed so my daughter and the entire family has rights to connect with their tribe?
    I have tried several times to connect with someone, anyone who can help with this.... Unfortunately addiction issues run pretty severe in the family, it makes it very hard to keep people on board, etc. I am meeting with a place called NARA tomorrow to see if they can help me at all... Can you guide me on what we can do from our position? Any info would be greatly appreciated!!

    Thank you very much!


    Cyndi R.Gaggero,RN

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cyndi, I hope you visit this blog. In the new book CALLED HOME: THE ROADMAP we outline exactly what you can do to open records. My new email: laratrace@outlook.com

      Delete
  10. Please email: kumeyaayindian@hotmail.com and tell Karen as much info as you can

    ReplyDelete
  11. my great-grandmother was adapted when she was young.she is irqiou in upstate new York.can anybody help me

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. go to: https://nativegenealogy.wordpress.com/2016/10/10/karen-vigneaults-new-website/ and contact Karen. She can help.

      Delete
  12. Was it possible for a child born around 1940 to be adopted between tribes? I am tribally enrolled but have always been told my grandfather was raised in an orphange and then adopted out to "like blood." This means my adopted great grandparents were mainly Irish, my grandmother part Choctaw. My grandfather is supposed to be Cherokee and my mother remembers meeting his birth mother. She asked to not see us again, it was painful. We know his birth father was a married sales man in Oklahoma. I know social workers at this time were telling young Native women it was better to give their children up to be raised. I also know my adopted great grandparent's relocated to Northern California around the time the Cherokee and Choctaw recognize a second trail of tears. My grandfather was extremely abusive, he died an estranged alcoholic in a Choctaw hospital. I am the first in my family to return, to address generational trauma. I'd like to get his adoption records and our true Native ancestry clear. I keep getting bounced back and forth between tribe adoption agencies. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you have names and dates, you can certainly contact the Choctaw and Cherokee enrollment offices to ask them for any records for your grandfather. Relatives often raised relatives so it's possible your grandfather was raised by an aunt or uncle and that paperwork may not exist.

      Delete
  13. I was adopted at 1. Have no original bc or paper work. I was born to a russian mom and cherokee nation dad and just found this out, my dad was put on a door step with a note from his parents. How do i register with cherokee if i do not have original documentation?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Jenny, You will need to read the chapter in Called Home about how to go about getting your original birth certificate which will list your original mother and maybe list your father. You can use the federal law ICWA to obtain your birth records through the court system - in the state where you were born. I know this sounds hard but its papers you must have, and you need that paper if you contact the Cherokee Nation.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi, my dad was adopted when he was a couple months old. I know his birthday , hospital, adoptive name and agency. No info about birth parents. His mother was a young native girl and said be live on a reservation. What can I do to find his family?

    Corritoms@gmail.com is my email.

    Thanks, corrine.

    ReplyDelete
  16. My grandmother was born in to the cherekee tribe in Arkansas Newport usa and they had changed up her birth date and year of birth she was born on 2/21/1943 and the record states 2/19/1944 and i cant find her origanal birth certificate and her tribal offiliation i need help becouse i am 100% possitive of this offiliation due to my grandmothers death she had seen and met her siblings for the first time in her life and they had a document printed up of the ancestral documentations from her kin side of the familyand then after that someone in the family had said it was a covered up adoption so how do i get this taken care of

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Unknown, An adoption record will exist for your grandmother. Adoption records will have her mothers name (and maybe her fathers name.) Once you have a name, then get in touch: laratrace@outlook.com. You need to ask the person who has her papers to let you read them. They have clues.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hello, just did an Ancestry test and found out I am 50% Native American. I had an idea but never how much since I was adopted in the state of TX. My adoption was sealed so not sure how to go about finding out information for biological/health/and possible siblings. Both adoptive parents are now deceased and they did not have much information either. What would be the next step? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi R Doe. We have some ideas for you. Email: kumeyaayindian@hotmail.com and tell what you know to Karen. She's in southern CA.

      Delete
  19. Hello, found out from an Ancestry test that I am 50% Native American. Have always known the probability but not the amount. I was also adopted in the state of TX and would be interested in knowing biological/health/possible siblings. Both adoptive parents are now deceased and didn't have much information as it was a sealed adoption. They were foster parents first I believe as I wasn't adopted until 6 months old. What is the next step and is there hope for those of us with sealed adoptions to find answers? Thanks for any help.

    ReplyDelete

  20. I was born April 5th 1968 at Albany General around 6am. Half Mohawk, half Irish/German Was immediately surrendered and went to Foster care. I was adopted by a white American couple. We moved to Ontario, Canada in 1971...does any of this sound familiar to anyone...? Please...?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hello, I was adopted in 1970 and have always known what my ancestral heritage is from information given to my adoptive parents from my biological mother....via the Dept of Social Services (people in charge of my adoption). I was told from my tribe that despite having information from the BIA as to who my blood relatives are and my blood quantum (9/32) they enrolled me as a tribal member, I would not be able to stay a member unless I presented them with an original birth certificate. They enrolled me in 1988 and then in 1992 told me this when I inquired about enrolling my children into the tribe. My children were not allowed to be enrolled in their rightful tribe nor will my new grandson. How can I go about finding my original birth certificate when the tribe has continually blocked my every attempt to find my birth parents? Thank you for any help you can give me.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hello, I am trying to find out information on how to get my original birth certificate. I was adopted in 1970 and have always known my ancestral background due to the information given to my adoptive parents by my biological mother through the Dept of Social Services who handled my adoption. While I appreciate that information, it has made it difficult to become a permanent tribal member (through information given to the tribe by the BIA including my blood quantum I was given an enrollment number in 1988) and my children were refused enrollment. As now my grandson will also be refused enrollment. I was told in 1992 that I would not be allowed to stay a member if I could not present my original birth certificate to the tribe when I attempted to enroll my children as members during the open enrollment. I need help. I really want my children and grandchildren to know and be a part of their tribal ancestry. Any information you can give me on how to find my original birth certificate would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you have the information on your biological parents and know what state you were born in ,start with the state' I tried to get help through the tribe to obtain my OBC but they refused to help get it' Finally Missouri opened the sealed records last year and I was able to get paperwork from the state I was adopted in and the case number. I sent the case number and everything I had to the state I was born in and after 6 months I was able to get my OBC' I wish you luck as I went down that road daily for over 20 years and was finally able to get where I am . Don't give up, its very frustrating and at times you will want to call it quits, don't. If you know the state you were born in you can also supeona the courts to try to get it released. Good Luck and keep going

      Delete
  23. My mom died 13 years ago and I have since been told that because of this her adoption records were also. To make things harder for me is that all of her adopted family is now gone meaning mother, father, and brother so I am at a dead in and don't know where to turn. All I have been told since she has passed is the city and state she born/adopted out of and a birthday date weather it is her real birth I don't know. I have also been told that her birth parents were from a Reservation and it could be Cherokee but again it is all hearsay since I can't ask her. I do remember my mom telling as a child that I have Cherokee blood but that is all she would say. Please help me...I want to put lost my mom felt and I feel from lack of knowledge of our heritage. Thank you so very much

    ReplyDelete
  24. My great grandmother born in the 1870s-1880s was adopted by a english/ brittish family living in Vermont from Oklahoma. All we know is that she was the daughter of a Cherokee woman and a french/ canadian fur trapper and that the government removed her and adopted her out to a white family. This is all the information we have is there any way of getting more information, I don't really know where to start, and I told my father I would help him research. We really want to connect to our real heritage.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I was put into foster care at birth (1961). I was adopted 3 years later into a Cuban family from St. Vincent Catholic Charities in Miami, FL.

    All I've been able to find out about my birth mother and family is that I have 3 brothers and 3 sisters. The boys were born in 1951, 53, and 60 and girls were born in 1957, 58, and 59. My brother born in 1957 had a different last name than the rest of my siblings. However, who knows what kind of names they got IF they got adopted. They were all in foster care before I was born and don't even know I exist. My mother was forced to give up her children according to a letter I received from Catholic Charities. I hypothesize the legality of forcing her to give up her children was due to the Indian Adoption Project (the timing just fits too clearly). The letter did not provide any information about my birth dad or any other identifying information.

    My DNA reveals the following:
    22% Native American—North, Central, South
    ---Nuevo Leon, Northern Tamaulipas & South Texas
    ---Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon & South Texas
    22% Spain
    21% Portugal
    14% France

    My adopted mother told me that upon adoption a lady from catholic charity came running out to tell her that I was Apache.
    I'm thinking Mescalero Apache.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I was adopted in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada. I have known I was adopted my whole 43 years. Im curious as to my birth parents n tribe. I know my given name before adoption. Thru the years I been curious as to what tribe Im from..I had 6 children that I gave up for adoption. Im wanting to know my heritage for medical and possible benefits. My parents have tried in the past to get info so I could possibly get benefits as far as education etc..any help would be greatly appreciated.Thank You.- Kathryn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Contact Province of Manitoba | fs - Post-Adoption Registry
      If you live in Manitoba and would like more information about the Registry, or would like to obtain a registration form, contact your local child and family services agency. If you live outside of Manitoba, contact the Registry, toll-free at 1-855-837-5542.

      Delete
  27. My birth mother was adopted and I have very little information about her as her adoption files are sealed but we do know she was native and would like to prove that I am too. I am fairly sure she was born in vancouver BC, canada. What is there for me to be able to do to prove status?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Unknown, you need to email me: laratrace@outlook.com - I have some ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hello i would like to know how to find my lineage for my son and i. My mother was adopted. It was a closed adoption. She does not want to find her birth parents or know anything about our history. However, i would like to know more. Before my grandfather passed away he told me that we are from the tlingit tribe and that my mothers adoption was closed because her birth parents were very young and on the wrong path at the time. He did say that her mother was full tlingit and the father was more than half. What should i do to find out more?

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi Unknown - this article is from Seattle but it will help. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/terrible-and-disgusting-decision-to-close-national-archives-at-seattle-a-blow-to-tribes-historians-in-4-states/
    If you are living in WA state, the state has opened their records for adoptees and adult children affected by their parents closed records.

    Email me: laratrace@outlook.com and I will hook you up with help.

    ReplyDelete
  31. My father is trying to locate records of his grandfather that was adopted in Nebraska, cedar crick, Cass county. He was haveborn in 1891 his adopted name but we do not know his original Indian name or his tribe. We understand that all the children were put in orphanages and removed from their parents. And he was only one of the 35 0/0 that were adopted. My dad also heard that the orphanage or wherever the records were kept burned down. He and his brother, my uncle have gathered some information but don't know what to do now. I hope you can help. My dad is now in his 80's. His mother only told him about this when he was 10 and he would like to find this information out, as would we all. Thank you sherri

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi Sherri, you do need to email me: laratrace@outlook.com. I need to see what information you have already. We can talk after you email me.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Tribes of Nebraska

    Omaha Tribe of Nebraska
    Chairman Isaac Sherman Jr.
    Phone:
    omaha-nsn.gov

    Santee Sioux Nation
    Chairman Roger Trudell
    Phone: (402) 857-2772
    santeesiouxnation.net

    Ponca Tribe of Nebraska
    Chairman Larry Wright Jr.
    Phone: (402) 857-3391
    poncatribe-ne.org

    Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
    Chairman Coly Brown
    Phone: (402) 878.2272
    winnebagotribe.com

    ReplyDelete
  34. HI. I just recently learned about the Native American adoptions. My mother was adopted as an infant and believes that she is potentially Native AMercian based on a couple of things. 1. Her birth certificate has her birth hospital blacked out and another one written in. The hospital that was written in was not open yet during her birth year and was previously a Indian Hospital. 2. My grandfather was a rancher in New Mexico and frequently went to the reservation to bus NA to his ranch to help with farming. This would make it very easy to obtain a NA adoption i feel. Her family has never mentioned anything however there appears to have been a couple of family members that have long past that had information. Is there any way to obtain a record or check to see if she would have some type of birth record.

    shawnahendricks1231@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hello! I was adopted in 1987 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I know my birth mother lived in Forked River, NJ and was asked to go to Louisiana to give birth because the adoption laws were less strict than in NJ. On my birth certificate it says I am Native American. I want to know what tribe I belong to. Do you have any recommendations on how I can find out what tribe I am from? Do you know any lawyers in Louisiana you could recommend I reach out to? Any recommendations would be helpful! Thanks, Jordan - jordanheldrich@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hello I was adopted I. 1970 Stanford University hospital trina I know my father was Apache and mother Portuguese and Irish looking for the truth

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hello my name is Brandy Lynne McGathy my dads name was Glen Ray McGathy he supposedly died in 2014 in california. I was told my whole child hood he got sick and past away (my mom left my dad when I was still a toddler and moved to Kansas) I didn't believe any of there lies and on my own I found him him when I was 12 he was in prison. At 16 we reunited but only for the moment of picking him up, it was enivitable we were kept apart, he went back to California and died I was told. I recently found out that his mother went to the boarding school in chilicco in red rock( sorry if my spelling is off) and that mabel duncan was.the nurse that did the sonos etc. In arkcity were his mother was seen, mabel's daughter nellie duncan and her husband thomas mcgathy some how adopted my father in 1963 out of ponca city, any info would be more than I could ever dream

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brandy, are you looking to find records on your dad? if so -please email laratrace@outlook.com
      Have you confirmed he has passed?

      Delete
    2. Yes he wanted this info and searched his whole life as well, confirmed as in, there is a death index on him. Not really anyother info at all. He is buried in cedarvale kansas. Thank you for all your help...I NEED my family right now...bless you!

      Delete
    3. Brandy, I am so sorry for your loss. If you can go the public library, they can hook you up to ancestry.com. I am quite sure your dad's family will show up and you can find relatives. You have cousins to meet and know.

      Delete
    4. How do I find my dad's real mom, I think her name may have been barbara Neff she went to the chillicco boarding school in the 60s in Oklahoma

      Delete
    5. UNKNOWN! I hope you read this! Your dad's real mom can be found here:
      http://www.chiloccoalumni.org/

      Here's the Chilocco Indian School, Newkirk, Okla.

      Delete
  38. Hi. I was born at the Nixs Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. I was removed from my parents by Child Protective services and placed with Catholic Charities. I was adopted by a military family when I was around 6 months to a year.

    I recently discovered that a bracelet, the only thing that I have from biological family, is Navajo. I believe that I had a brother named Albert and a sister. My mother may have been Elizabeth or Irene. Irene may possibly be my grandmother.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown, I contacted a friend who is Navajo. Can you please email me asap: laratrace@outlook.com

      Delete
    2. I am doing this tonight. Thank you.

      Delete
  39. Hi Unknown. Did you ever try and get a copy of your adoption file? It would have complete names, etc.
    Also get on this registry asap: https://dshs.texas.gov/vs/adoption/registry.aspx
    The Vital Statistics (VS) Central Adoption Registry (CAR) provides a way for adult adoptees, birth parents, and biological siblings to locate one another without having to go through the court system or other sources.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi. Thank you so much. My mane us Teresa.

      Delete
    2. Hi. LT. I'm the unknown user born at the Nixs Hospital. I have made a little headway. I did a 23andMe DNA test. I'm 54% Native American. That is not the best news. I have a significant number of matches. I'm working through the list. I also have my Haplogroup. I'm an A2.

      Delete
  40. Hi. I am trying to figure out if I can get records or information on my great-grandmother's adoption. I know she was Cherokee and "adopted" into a white family and have been told by my grandfather that the records were lost in a church fire before he was born. I know that's not a lot of information, but I am mostly wondering if there would have been other copies somewhere else before I try to track down information down that does not exist anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Unknown, you will need to think about doing a DNA test to determine your connection to a relative. Without paperwork, or a name, you have no choices.
    If you know the state where she was born, you have to know the state laws. Use this blog to look at how to open an adoption. If you know what state, you can petition the courts, using ICWA.
    The 2nd Edition of Called Home: The Roadmap has a chapter about using your DNA results to do a court order to open your records. ICWA has a provision for this. Please read this book.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hello, my name is Josh. My grandmother passed away and had a closed adoption. I was wondering how I could go about getting access to her parents names for a family tree, trying to go back as far as possible and this has always been a block. Any assistance?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Josh, you need to know what state your grandmother was born in and we go from there, email: laratrace@outlook.com

      Delete
  43. my name is rena, I am from Minnesotan, my father (charles jerde) was adopted he was born in 1950. I have had no connection or communication all my life. i was told he was native american but my mom didnt know the tribe. we tried calling his brother (also adopted) and he didnt feel he could give that info. He asked his mother and she didnt want to talk to me about it at all ( now they have died) . So i just started to search and i found no birth certificate on ancestry .com but i found a social security card application for Drayton Pemb, North Dakota for when he was 14 years of age. He settled and died in Keewatin mn < I am going to do the dna test just waiting for it to come. I am wondering if there is any way i can maybe do some research on it till then.

    ReplyDelete
  44. i forgot to add my email the.vail.tribe@gmail.com (rena)

    ReplyDelete
  45. My nephew's Native American mother was adopted. She has since passed away as has his grandmother (her adoptive mom). I have been trying to help him trace his mother's heritage. He might be able to see if he can have tribal membership, if he knew exactly which tribe. If not that, find family members. We have his mom's adopted name, birthdate, state, maybe town and we might have her birth name. We just aren't sure of the spelling. I have been working on this for him for several years, but have just been stymied on how to go about it. Any suggestions?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Darlene. What state was she adopted in? That will make all the difference. If her records can be opened, then you have a path forward. Again, it takes a court order to get copies of sealed files.
      What a mess adoptees have to endure - just to get a piece of paper and proof. You can email me what state and we can go from there:
      laratrace@outlook.com

      Delete
  46. Hi, I've been trying to figure this out on my own for a long long time, but hoping someone here can help me.

    My dad's mother was adopted from a reservation in Oklahoma, through a catholic agency, into a white (Irish) family. She was born around 1935 and appears on the census with her adopted parents in 1940. They never told her any information about her birth parents except that she was from a reservation. She, my dad, and I have been repeatedly told that her records are sealed because the adoption took place in Indian Country. She has passed away so she is no longer able to request her own birth certificate, and it seems like my dad nor I am allowed to request it. Is that true? The only clue as to which reservation is that her adopted mother had said once that she grew up near a reservation and wanted to adopt a child from there. Her adopted parents lived in Latimer county Oklahoma, and her mother briefly lived in Choctaw nation on the 1900 census. But if they adopted her through an agency, would they even know or control what reservation she was from?

    I'm not trying to claim any tribal affiliation, but I do want to be able to find the information that was denied to my grandmother and my dad, for his sake and for her memory. Does anyone have advice on what to do?

    ReplyDelete
  47. Any idea what to do if your birth and adoptive parents lied about status? My birth mother had her first attempt to adopt me out to a white couple stopped by the tribe, and then she pursued a closed adoption where the lawyer encouraged everyone to just check the “no” box and my adoption went ahead without the tribe being notified.

    ReplyDelete

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Canada's Residential Schools

The religious organizations that operated the schools — the Anglican Church of Canada, Presbyterian Church in Canada, United Church of Canada, Jesuits of English Canada and some Catholic groups — in 2015 expressed regret for the “well-documented” abuses. The Catholic Church has never offered an official apology, something that Trudeau and others have repeatedly called for.

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What our Nations are up against!

What our Nations are up against!

To Veronica Brown

Veronica, we adult adoptees are thinking of you today and every day. We will be here when you need us. Your journey in the adopted life has begun, nothing can revoke that now, the damage cannot be undone. Be courageous, you have what no adoptee before you has had; a strong group of adult adoptees who know your story, who are behind you and will always be so.

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ADOPTION TRUTH

As the single largest unregulated industry in the United States, adoption is viewed as a benevolent action that results in the formation of “forever families.”
The truth is that it is a very lucrative business with a known sales pitch. With profits last estimated at over $1.44 billion dollars a year, mothers who consider adoption for their babies need to be very aware that all of this promotion clouds the facts and only though independent research can they get an accurate account of what life might be like for both them and their child after signing the adoption paperwork.

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Why tribes do not recommend the DNA swab

Rebecca Tallbear entitled: “DNA, Blood, and Racializing the Tribe”, bearing out what I only inferred:

Detailed discussion of the Bering Strait theory and other scientific theories about the population of the modern-day Americas is beyond the scope of this essay. However, it should be noted that Indian people have expressed suspicion that DNA analysis is a tool that scientists will use to support theories about the origins of tribal people that contradict tribal oral histories and origin stories. Perhaps more important,the alternative origin stories of scientists are seen as intending to weaken tribal land and other legal claims (and even diminish a history of colonialism?) that are supported in U.S. federal and tribal law. As genetic evidence has already been used to resolve land conflicts in Asian and Eastern European countries, this is not an unfounded fear.

GOOGLE

In some cases, companies may even take it upon themselves to control the narrative according to their own politics and professed values, with no need for government intervention. For example: Google, the most powerful information company in the world, has been reported to fix its algorithms to promote, demote, and disappear content according to undisclosed internal “fairness” guidelines. This was revealed by a whistleblower named Zach Vorhies in his almost completely ignored book, Google Leaks, and by Project Veritas, in a sting operation against Jen Gennai, Google’s Head of Responsible Innovation. In their benevolent desire to protect us from hate speech and disinformation, Google/YouTube immediately removed the original Project Veritas video from the Internet. - https://desultoryheroics.com/2023/11/12/internet-censorship-everywhere-all-at-once

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