"State lawmakers are considering changes to the way Wisconsin handles Indian child welfare cases. But some prosecutors worry the moves could make it tougher for them to get kids out of troubled homes.

Indian child welfare cases strike an emotional chord, not only because they involve child custody and adoption, but also because they butt up against tribal sovereignty. And in the eyes of some critics, they threaten a tribe's very survival.

Greg Miller is the Vice President of the Stockbridge Munsee Band of Mohicans. He says too many Indian children get taken out of their homes by courts and placed into non-native homes. He says that takes away from tribes their most important resource. Miller says children are the future of any society, carrying with them the traditions, customs and spirit of their ancestors. Miller says without children, nation’s die.

A plan at the state capitol would make sure Wisconsin law lines up with the federal Indian Child Welfare Act that was passed in the late 70s. Broadly speaking, it would keep many of these cases in the hands of tribal courts."

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Indian welfare changes considered at Wisconsin capitol (Wisconsin Public Radio 9/21)
Audio: Indian welfare changes considered (Wisconsin Public Radio 9/21)