ICWA Court advocate set to compete for Miss America
Minneapolis, Minnesota – Rachel Evangelisto, Miss Minnesota 2022 and member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe competed for the title of “Miss America” on December 15th. Ms. Evangelisto carries a full case load representing the best interests of the child, as an ICWA Guardian ad litem in the Hennepin County ICWA Court.
She founded the “Little Warriors” doll project to support Indigenous youth and families impacted by the child protection system. She has used her Miss Minnesota platform to address bias and racism that impact Indigenous children and families. She was quoted on her website as saying, “False narratives and Indigenous invisibility have harmful and long-term effects that normalize bias, discrimination, and racism. I am grateful to have the platform of Miss Minnesota to carry out my service initiatives.”
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Pictured here is Rachel Evangelisto, Miss Minnesota with Judge Bruce Manning in one of the two courtrooms in Hennepin County ICWA Court. Hennepin County is one of the oldest ICWA Courts in the country, beginning in the early 1990s and have changed their courtroom to have Tribal Nation flags, gifted star quilts, Indigenous art, and smudging available for families before ICWA hearings. |