Supreme Court Upholds Native American Adoption Protections and Tribal Sovereignty.

The US Supreme Court has upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, which gives preference to Native American families in foster care and adoption cases involving Native children. However, the decision does not address whether the law violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution, leaving the door open to future challenges. Supporters say the law is critical to ensuring Native children are bound to their traditions and customs while reversing decades of forced removal from their homes. The challenge against the act was led by a white evangelical Christian couple from Texas who sought to adopt a Native child.