Court Opinion

ID: 9665145
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 00:41:47.427999+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:05.872557
License: Public Domain

BAKER,
Justice, dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
The issue in this case is not who should be entrusted with the custody of the Indian child, Kayla American Horse, but rather what court has jurisdiction to make that decision. All other things being equal, the Boyd Circuit Court would be the appropriate court and its decision made in compliance with the guidelines of KRS 403.270 would be affirmed.
Kayla American Horse is an Indian child and a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Excepting her first eight months, this child, now thirteen years of age, has lived her entire life with Kim Weasel, her uncle and a tribal member, and his wife, Leilani Weasel. Significantly, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court granted temporary custody to the Weasels on January 14, 1984. This order states in part:
*265That the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court retains jurisdiction over the above-named minor child and that Kayla American Horse be made a ward of this Court, and....
That this Order will remain in effect until further notice of this Court.
The Boyd Circuit Court awarded custody of the child to Leilani Weasel, now Rye, and found that the provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act (25 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) did not apply and that it was in the best interest of the child to award custody to Leilani Weasel Rye. The Court of Appeals reversed holding the Indian Child Welfare Act governed and dictated that exclusive jurisdiction lies with the tribal court. The Court of Appeals further declared the “existing Indian Family doctrine” did not apply as the child had previously been adjudged a ward of the tribal court so as to invoke the exclusive jurisdiction of 25 U.S.C. § 1911(a).
The pertinent provision of the Indian Child Welfare Act reads:
§ 1911. Indian tribe jurisdiction over Indian child custody proceedings
(a) Exclusive jurisdiction
An Indian tribe shall have jurisdiction exclusive as to any State over any child custody proceeding involving an Indian child who resides or is domiciled within the reservation of such tribe, except where such jurisdiction is otherwise vested in the State by existing Federal law. Where an Indian child is a ward of a tribal court, the Indian tribe shall retain exclusive jurisdiction, notwithstanding the residence or domicile of the child.
Congress in enacting the Indian Child Welfare Act made specific findings emphasizing the importance of maintaining the integrity of Indian tribes and protecting Indian children. 25 U.S.C. § 1901 provides in part:
(2) that Congress, through statutes, treaties, and the general course of dealing with Indian tribes, has assumed the responsibility for the protection and preservation of Indian tribes and their resources;
(3) that there is no resource that is more vital to the continued existence and integrity of Indian tribes than their children and that the United States has a direct interest, as trustee, in protecting Indian children who are members of or are eligible for membership in an Indian tribe;
(4) that an alarmingly high percentage of Indian families are broken up by the removal, often unwarranted, of their children from them by nontribal public and private agencies and that an alarmingly high percentage of such children are placed in non-Indian foster and adoptive homes and institutions; and
(5) that the States, exercising their recognized jurisdiction over Indian child custody proceedings through administrative and judicial bodies, have often failed to recognize the essential tribal relations of Indian people and the cultural and social standards prevailing in Indian communities and families.
In House Report No. 95-1386 of the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee dated July 24,1978 to accompany H.R. 12533 which was enacted as Public Law 95-608 (Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978) the Committee answered affirmatively the question “Does Congress have power to control the incidents of child custody litigation involving non-reservation Indian children and parents pursuant to the Indian commerce clause sufficient to override the significant State interest in regulating the procedure to be followed by its courts in exercising jurisdiction over what is traditionally a State matter?” That report evidences a great concern that Indian children not be separated from the Indian tribal family and that only by empowering tribal courts with exclusive custody could such a policy be promoted. See U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News, 1978 at 7530-7568.
The relationship of Kayla American Horse as a ward of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has remained unchanged since January 12, 1984. In 1991 when Kayla suffered serious medical problems the Weasels appealed to the tribe for financial support. Neither the tribe nor the Bureau of Indian Affairs provided financial assistance. The record is silent as to whether this was because of a shortage of funds or a lack of will.
*266Nevertheless Kayla to this day remains a ward of her tribe. Moreover while she has not resided on the reservation since infancy her custodial father is a member of the tribe and her custodial mother is of Indian heritage. As pointed out by Justice Brennan in Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield, 490 U.S. 30, 109 S.Ct. 1597, 104 L.Ed.2d 29 (1989), the exclusive jurisdiction of the tribal court cannot be defeated by simple expedients of giving birth off the reservation and placing a child for adoption while off the reservation.
It is very tempting for Kentucky courts which otherwise would have jurisdiction to ignore the exclusive jurisdiction vested by Congress in the tribal courts to adjudicate Indian child custody matters. Congress has chosen to place this responsibility with the Indian tribal court. With due respect for the primacy of federal law, Kentucky must transfer the custody determination of Kayla American Horse to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court. The decision of the Court of Appeals should be affirmed.