In 2018, the future of the Indian Child Welfare Act was put in jeopardy by a case that would come to be known as Brackeen v. Haaland. A federal district court judge ruled that the 45-year-old law known as ICWA was unconstitutional in its entirety. As the case progressed, many supporters of the law � which is designed to maintain the bonds between Native children and their families and tribes � feared that the U.S. Supreme Court would gut or erase ICWA.

This June, the court did the opposite in a 7-2 ruling that strongly affirmed the Indian Child Welfare Act�s constitutionality.

�The bottom line is that we reject all of petitioners� challenges to the statute, some on the merits and others for lack of standing,� wrote Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

The Imprint�s five years of coverage on the Brackeen case includes Nancy Marie Spears� reporting on the arguments considered by the Supreme Court and the prayers and protests outside that day.� And check out The Imprint Weekly Podcast episode from the week after the court�s decision for more insight from several leading experts on ICWA and tribal law. enerate new mask