Indian Child Welfare Act
Supreme Court Preview: Brackeen v Haaland
On November 9, 2022, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Brackee v Haaland, the case concerning the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The Supreme Court’s decision will have huge implications for Native families, Native communities, and the future of tribal nations. If ICWA is overturned, not only will tribal nations lose their right to have a say in who raises their youngest citizens, but it will also open the door for tribes’ rights related to land ownership and more to be questioned.
You can learn more about the legal questions being reviewed and possible outcomes of the case by visiting the buttons below.
Understand the background of the case.
Listen to the audio recording and/or read the transcript of the oral arguments.
Watch the video Rebecca Nagle on the Supreme Court case that could gut native sovereignty.
Here are some actions for you to consider if you wish to be more involved:
- Encourage NH tribal leaders to sign the tribal amicus brief.
- Urge your members of Congress to get involved.
- Urge state agency leadership, attorneys general, and governor to safeguard the rights of Native American Granite Staters.
We will keep you updated about important developments in this litigation.
The U.S. history of Native American Boarding Schools
Written By Melissa Mejia
Native American Boarding Schools (also known as Indian Boarding Schools) were established by the U.S. government in the late 19th century as an effort to assimilate Indigenous youth into mainstream American culture through education. This era was part of the United States’ overall attempt to kill, annihilate, or assimilate Indigenous peoples and eradicate Indigenous culture The Native American assimilation era first began in 1819, when the U.S. Congress passed The Civilization Fund Act. The act encouraged American education to be provided to Indigenous societies and therefore enforced the “civilization process".
The passing of this act eventually led to the creation of the federally funded Native American Boarding Schools and initiated the beginning of the Indian Boarding School era. The duration of this era ran from 1860 until 1978. Approximately 357 boarding schools operated across 30 states during this era both on and off reservations and housed over 60,000 native children. A third of these boarding schools were operated by Christian missionaries as well as members of the federal government. These boarding schools housed several thousand children.
To learning more about the work being done by Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective on Residential Institutions click on the buttons provided below. Kathleen Blake a Racial Unity Team Board Member is a member of Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collectivitie. To read the full article about Native American Boarding Schools click on the button below.
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Indigenous Peoples Day 2022
Exeter’s annual Indigenous Peoples Day celebration was held at Founders Park on Monday, October 10, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The event was a collaboration of the Racial Unity Team, Exeter Historical Society, American Independence Museum, Exeter Public Library, SAU 16, and the Piscataqua Seed Project.
The theme of this year’s program was “Flora.” Adults and children were given the opportunity to learn about Native American culture and customs as they visited craft tables to create corn husk dolls, pumpkin seed collages, blueberry and corn necklaces, and birch bark etchings. The involvement of SAU-16 students in the program made the day special. The day's events began with a land acknowledgment, a testament to the indigenous people who lived in this area prior to colonial settlement. This followed by presentations from Denise and Paul Pouliot, representing the Pennacook-Abenaki people, and Kathleen Blake, who identifies as Native American with tribal heritage in the Wendat, Algonquin, and Mi'kmaq First Nations. The event ended with a flora “scavenger hunt” throughout town, with book prizes awarded to students who completed the hunt activity.
Community Feedback Debra O'Connell Altschiller
I’m definitely not alone in saying the Racial Unity Team has opened my eyes, deepened my knowledge and taught me so much about the experiences of the diverse members of our Seacoast home. Kudos to Ken Mendis & Joy Meiser Mendis for sparking this interest and growing the RUT to the outstanding work it does today! Being in community today for a celebration of Indigenous People with the most moving and beautiful land acknowledgement I have heard to date. Thank you to the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki People for gathering us spiritually and guiding us through a honoring of the Creator. It made an impression on my heart.
The program was possible because of the generosity of its sponsors: The William H Donner Foundation, Kennebunk Savings, and Cambridge Trust. For more information visit racialunityteam.com/projects. Watch the event video
Note: Debra Altschiller, a three-term state representative from Stratham, is the 2022 Democratic nominee for New Hampshire Senate District 24, which represents the communities of Exeter, Greenland, Hampton Falls, Hampton, North Hampton, Rye and Stratham.
Site Content
Residential Institutions
Indigenous Food Resources
Indigenous Food Resources
This site content share educational resources about the history and lasting impacts of residential institutions and child removal as strategies for assimilation and cultural genocide of Indigenous peoples.
Indigenous Food Resources
Indigenous Food Resources
Indigenous Food Resources
Indigenous Foods and Recipes
Have you ever wondered what kind of foods were consumed by Native Americans? While many people believe that Native Americans were exclusively hunter-gatherers, by the time of European contact many groups practiced agriculture.
Indigenous Peoples New Hampshire
Indigenous Peoples Land Acknowledgement
The Racial Unity Team recognizes N’Dakinna (n-DA-ki-na), which is the unceded traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki (a-BEN-a-ki), Pennacook and Wabanaki Peoples past and present. We acknowledge and honor with gratitude the land, waterways, living beings and the Aln8bak (Al-nuh-bak), the people who have stewarded N’dakinna throughout the generations.
Watch The Video
Exeter’s second annual Indigenous People's Day was held in Founders Park on Monday, October 11, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. The public was invited, including school children who had a holiday on this day.
The Racial Unity Team, in collaboration with the Exeter Historical Society, American Independence Museum, and Exeter Public Library, sponsored this event. The site of the event, on the banks of the Exeter River, features a local sculpture which depicts Founders of Exeter, including a Native American chief. The program included a land acknowledgment, a testament to the Indigenous People who populated this area prior to colonial settlement. Guests shared their stories of Native American connections. Children’s activities were hosted at craft tables under a tent. A “Water Protector” Story Walk, designed by the American Independence Museum staff, was open for exploration.
