Memorandum
Date: June 11, 2024
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Board of Supervisors
Subject: Presentation of Proclamation Designating June 15, 2024, to Honor Indian Child Welfare Act Day
Executive Summary:
DESIGNATING JUNE 15, 2024, TO
HONOR INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT DAY
WHEREAS, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was enacted by Congress in 1978 to address the crisis affecting American Indian and Alaska Native children, families, and tribes due to the high number of children being removed from their homes and placed in non-Indian foster or adoptive homes, often far away from their communities and culture; and
WHEREAS, ICWA recognizes the inherent sovereignty of Indian tribes to determine the best interests of their children, aiming to keep Indian children connected with their families, communities, and cultural heritage; and
WHEREAS, ICWA establishes minimum federal standards for the removal and placement of Indian children and affirms the importance of tribal authority in child welfare matters, ensuring that Indian children are placed in homes that reflect the unique values and traditions of their culture; and
WHEREAS, the continued implementation and enforcement of ICWA are vital to the preservation of Indian tribes and the well-being of Indian children, providing them with a sense of identity and belonging that is essential for their development and success; and
WHEREAS, the area known as Lake County has been developed upon the ancestral homelands of Indigenous peoples who have continuously inhabited, utilized, and stewarded the land since time immemorial and is also the home to 7 Federally recognized tribes: Big Valley of Pomo Indians Elem Indian Colony, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, Koi Nation of Northern California, Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California, Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians, and the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians; and
WHEREAS, we recognize and...
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