“This is a big win for Washington’s Tribes and Tribes across our nation. The Supreme Court upheld Tribal sovereignty and self-government, and the right to protect their culture and pass it onto the next generation.

 

“Our country has a dark history in how we have treated Native American children. The Indian Child Welfare Act addresses that chapter and the abusive legacy of forcefully separating children from their families and their Tribes for decades in an effort to destroy their culture. Undermining that law would have been a disaster. Today’s ruling is one more step in the long road to addressing the damage caused by colonization, genocide, and cultural erasure.

 

“We recognize the vital knowledge Washington's first people have of our shared natural resources. The Department of Natural Resources is committed to upholding the Treaty Rights and Tribally Protected Rights of Washington’s 29 federally recognized Tribes, and working with them as partners in ensuring the sustainability of Washington’s precious natural lands, and maintaining open and collaborative government to government relations.”

 

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Communications Manager

360-902-1000