This paper recounts the author's removal as an Indian child to a non-Indian foster home and consequent alienation and identity crisis, and presents survey results from Indian adults with similar childhood experiences. The problems in this particular case began when, at age 5, the author moved with her family from the reservation to an urban…

In 1978, federal legislation was passed to protect tribally enrolled or potentially enrollable American Indian children and prevent the breakup of Indian families. Prior to the passage of the Indian Child Welfare Act, it was estimated that one-quarter to one-third of all Indian children were being removed from their families. In this paper, an…