September 23, 2013

Capobiancos take Baby Veronica

Adoptive parents take custody of Veronica from biological fatherBaby Veronica’s biological family handed over the 4-year-old girl Monday night, giving her back to her adoptive parents from South Carolina.“I do not want to go! I do not want to go!” Screamed Veronica as She Was Taken from Her Biological Father

Comment:  Veronica lasted a few weeks longer than I expected, but now she's gone. Alas, the outcome was pretty much inevitable.

Tribal sovereignty and tribal courts were never a serious impediment to this outcome. I didn't think they would be. America doesn't work that way.

Some Native reactions from Twitter:Adrienne K. ‏@NativeApprops
Veronica has been handed to the Copabiancos, taken away from her dad, family, & tribe. How is this fair? #heartbroken

Coya Hope ‏@coyahope
@NativeApprops because white people don't want to hear no, and have all those systems are designed to back them up, even to steal a child.

Nellie ‏@sailordom
@NativeApprops Really shows how many people still think "best interests of child" means "adopted by white family"

Ruth Hopkins ‏@_RuthHopkins
If state courts can disregard ICWA & Tribal Sovereignty to take #BabyVeronica from her birth father, none of our #Native children are safe.

Patrick G. Barkman @PGBarkman
#BabyVeronica proves yet again the great truth of American history: that anything of value NDNs have can be taken by white ppl at their whim
Yep, this is a classic case of white privilege in action. The law says the mother must consult with a father who's a tribal member, and his tribe. Did that happen? No. The Supreme Court invented a pretext for ignoring this law and favoring the white adoptive parents over the Cherokee father.

That's justice, American-style: 1) Determine outcome--e.g., cute baby should be with white folks. 2) Ignore law and make rulings to achieve outcome.

Funny that most of the articles don't seem to be reporting Veronica's reactions. I suspect that's a result of their pro-white, pro-adoption bias.

Of course, only one news account said she was screaming. Maybe it has a pro-Native bias.

In any case, I hope the Capobiancos have good mental health coverage. I suspect #BabyVeronica is in for a lifetime of abandonment and anger issues.

For more on Baby Veronica, see Baby Veronica Case Violates Sovereignty and Oklahoma Governor Orders Extradition for Brown.

1 comment:

Rob said...

For more on the subject, see:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/baby-veronica-handover-prompted-a-lot-of-crying/article_6f78ccf8-9cd9-50af-8840-48df09ba7355.html

Baby Veronica handover prompted 'a lot of crying'

Details emerge about the events leading up to the change in custody for the Cherokee girl.