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Supreme Court Upholds Tribal Sovereignty in Indigenous Adoptions Case

The Navajo Nation flag and a customized American flag are flown in Monument Valley, Utah on March 27, 2017. Alberto Zanoni/Alamy

On June 15, in a 7-2 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act when it ruled in favor of the federal government and tribal governments in the case Haaland v. Brackeen. The case, which originated with a Texas couple’s attempts to adopt two Navajo children despite the tribe’s ability to find a placement for the children within Navajo Nation, was seen by many as an attempt to fundamentally dissolve tribal sovereignty

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