An Ojibwe perspective on the welfare of children: Lessons of the past and visions for the future

This critical ethnographic study examines the degree to which culturally consonant child welfare institutions and practices are appropriate and possible within one Ojibwe tribal community. Despite the passage of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 [PL 95-608, 25 U.S.C. Secs. 1901-63], First Nations children continue to be over-represented in the foster and adoptive care populations. Findings from the study suggest that the child welfare institutions, policies, and practices which are imposed upon First Nations communities contribute to an over-reliance on child removal and do little to support the development of strategies which blend the best of both Ojibwe and Euro-American cultures.