Court Opinion

ID: 9515284
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 22:55:21.914497+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:06:27.510595
License: Public Domain

ZINTER, Justice
(concurring in result).
[¶ 23.] I join the Court’s opinion on all issues except the ICWA expert witness dispute. I concur in result on that issue because this Court has routinely approved the qualification of ICWA experts with equal or lesser qualifications than those presented in this record. See Matter of K.A.B.E., 325 N.W.2d 840 (S.D.1982)4; In re D.M., 2003 SD 49, 661 N.W.2d 768.5 *429Therefore, the trial court correctly concluded that this expert met the requirements of ICWA.
[¶ 24.] However, this Court affirms on the basis that the expert met the requirements of People ex rel. M.H., 2005 SD 4, 691 N.W.2d 622. That case imposed a new tribal specificity requirement6 for qualification as an ICWA expert. Because I disagree with the factual and legal analysis in M.H., I concur in result. See M.H., ¶ 26 et seq. (Zinter, J., dissenting).
[¶ 25.] The weakness of M.H. is exemplified by this case. The record reflects that this proposed expert had familiarity with Native American culture and chil-drearing practices, but had no knowledge of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe’s (CRST’s) specific practices. See supra at ¶¶ 12-13. However, this Court approves the expert’s qualifications on the sole basis that, in preparing to testify, the expert contacted the CRST by telephone and “was eventually transferred to someone willing to speak to her about the childrear-ing practices” of the CRST. Supra ¶ 13. Based upon this one phone call to “someone” confirming that general Native American practices were similar to those of the CRST, the Court concludes that the expert met the new tribal specificity standards of M.H.
[¶ 26.] Ironically, this “confirmation of similar practice methodology” was rejected in M.H. Moreover, this expert’s knowledge of the CRST’s specific practices is even less than what was found to be inadequate in M.H. The expert in M.H. had far more knowledge of specific cultural and chil-drearing practices based on fourteen years of work with several Tribes’ Indian people in the area of child abuse and ICWA and:
... through his knowledge of the similarity of childrearing practices among all regional tribes. His particularized knowledge was established through his experience with the Yankton Sioux Tribe and by talking with other experts. From that experience, he was aware of the differences in culture, but the similarity of childrearing practices. More specifically, with respect to culture, [the expert] indicated that he had “some insight, but ... not the particular cultural practices of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.” However, he then explained, without contradiction, that the Yankton Sioux Tribe “is culturally, fairly culturally similar to the other eight Sioux tribes in South Dakota and North Dakota and I’m fairly familiar with their cultures.” Thus, even under a “particular culture” requirement, there was some record evi*430dence of similarity sufficient to satisfy the abuse of discretion standard of review.
More importantly, even if [the expert] possessed no knowledge of cultural differences, an allegation not supported by the record, he unequivocally testified that he did have “specific knowledge of the childrearing practices.” [The expert] explained, again without contradiction, that there were not “significant differences in childrearing practices among the nine Sioux Tribes. They have different cultural practices, but the childrearing practices are essentially the same.” Consequently, even though [the expert] admitted the four deficiencies noted by this Court, he still possessed specific knowledge of the childrearing practices necessary to assist the court in making a dispositional decision under the ICWA.
M.H., 2005 SD 4, ¶¶ 35-36, 691 N.W.2d at 630-31 (Zinter, J., dissenting).
[¶ 27.] Thus, today’s decision adds more confusion to this area of the law. It does so because the disqualified expert in M.H. had substantially more familiarity with the specific childrearing practices of the CRST than the expert qualified in this case. Moreover, although the method of obtaining specific knowledge (by verifying comparative practices with other Tribes) was specifically rejected in M.H., it is approved today. These inconsistencies demonstrate why M.H. should be reconsidered. Because M.H. was not well grounded in fact or law, I decline to join that portion of today’s opinion that applies it.

. Although the case involved the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, the extent of the qualifications approved by this Court in K.A.B.E., 325 N.W.2d at 843, consisted only of the following:
The witnesses who testified were a social worker with the South Dakota Department of Social Services and the Director of the Children’s Inn in Sioux Falls. The social worker has worked as such for over four years. She has a bachelor of arts degree in social work and has had contact with Indians on a regular basis. The Children's Inn is a shelter and resource center for children and parents involved with child abuse. The Director had a bachelor of science degree in social work and a year towards her master’s degree. Approximately 30% of the children utilizing the Children’s Inn are Indians.

.Although the case involved the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, the extent of the qualifications approved by this Court in DM., 2003 SD 49, ¶ 20, 661 N.W.2d at 773, consisted only of the following:
*429[The proposed expert's] testimony revealed that she possessed the following qualifications: she managed the child protection program for five counties in South Dakota, including an area encompassing the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation; she had been employed by DSS for approximately fifteen years; she had prior experience in handling delinquent youth; she worked with tribal court and tribal agencies; she worked with Native American clients of the child protection program; she had attended several trainings relating to issues of family violence and child services for Native American families; she had attended trainings on ICWA and had previously been qualified as an ICWA expert.

. It is noteworthy that there is nothing in the text of ICWA that requires specialized knowledge of the child's tribe. The Act merely provides:
No termination of parental rights may be ordered in such proceeding in the absence of a determination, supported by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, including testimony of qualified expert witnesses, that the continued custody of the child by the parent or Indian custodian is likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage to the child.
25 USCA § 1912(f) (1978).