Clallam ICWA Court kicks off with Tribal Leadership
Port Angeles, Washington—The Clallam County Superior County is the 17th ICWA Court in the country. They formally kicked off in an event held on August 24-25, planned in close partnership with Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe the Honorable Brandon Mack, Commissioner of the Clallam County Superior Family Court developed an ambitious ICWA training agenda for the 70 people in attendance for the gathering. The agenda captured the spirit of ICWA as well as the black letter law, including some of the recent Washington Supreme Court decisions.
Chairwoman Frances Charles, Lower Elwha Klallam shared from an Indigenous mother, auntie, grandmother, and foster parent perspective how the ICWA is important to tribal nations to keep children connected to family and culture.
Further Vice Chairwoman Loni Greninger, Jamestown S’Klallam shared that 497 Tribal Nations signed a recently submitted amicus brief for Brackeen v. Haaland case before the Supreme Court of the US.