Wayne Hawkins has taken care of her from the time she was 27 hours old. She overcame drug addiction at way too young of age. She's overcome a tremendous amount of roadblocks to get where she is at. It makes no sense. But someone does.
Tribes have the right to define what percentage of blood qualifies for membership.
ICWA pertains to any child the tribe deems enrollable. With three other children in the house and a new mother waiting in the bridal wings, Marie is a happy, well-adjusted little girl. Hawkin's adoption of her would have been final in October had the tribe not stepped in at the 11th hour. He believes that' s good cause to prevent transfer of jurisdiction, so on Jan. 10th, he's taking the issue to Federal Court in Billings. Unfortunately, in 1994, the Minnesota Supreme Court rejected a white couple's petition to adopt three Ojibwe sisters.