Debora Juarez, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, is the first Native American to serve on the city council in Seattle, Washington. Photo from Facebook
Debora Juarez, a member of the Blackfeet Nation who serves on the city council in Seattle, Washington, explains why tribes should not disenroll their own people:
Disenrollment is tantamount to relinquishment of my Birthright. But unlike relinquishment of parental rights, disenrollment is based on no fault of my own. Disenrollment is a decision to steal from me my own Creator-given DNA, my spark, my own gift. I understand. Because, as an Indian Mother who gave up an Indian Son, it feels eerily reminiscent of a day 39 years ago. He was there. Then taken from my arms. Then gone. I never again had any say. Disenrollment is like a unilateral politically motivated divorce or forced adoption. It is like a relinquishment of parental rights, yet with no due process.Get the Story:
Seattle Councilperson Debora Juarez Holds “Deeply” Personal Beliefs Against Disenrollment (Galanda Broadman 2/1)
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