Lt. Gov. Deidre M. Henderson applauds Supreme Court decision to uphold ICWA

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson issued this statement following the Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday to uphold the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA):

Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court upholds the incalculable value of Native American children to tribal nations in Utah and across the country.

SCOTUS voted 7-2 to affirm the constitutionality of the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, which rightly sought to keep Native American families and children whole. The state of Utah has always supported ICWA and filed an amicus brief in its defense with 25 other states.

In his concurrence, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch summed up the importance of ICWA, stating that it “secure[s] the right of Indian parents to raise their families as they please; the right of Indian Children to grow in their culture; and the right of Indian communities to resist fading into the twilight of history.”

Utah will continue to champion the sovereignty of the eight federally recognized tribes within its borders – and the sovereign rights of their future generations.