Top federal, state, and tribal leaders are meeting in Rapid City this week for a 3-day summit on the Indian Child Welfare Act and claims that South Dakota routinely violates the act by removing American Indian children from their homes and placing them in foster care with non-Indian families.

Under federal law, Native American children removed from homes must be placed with relatives or put in foster care with other Native American families except in unusual circumstances, but a 2011 report by National Public Radio found a disproportionate number of South Dakota tribal children are placed in foster care.

Six members of Congress began asking for more information, and 3 months ago the 9 federally-employed ICWA directors in South Dakota submitted a report to Congress affirming NPR’s main allegations and eventually leading to the summit, which runs through Friday.

Assistant Secretary of the Interior and head of the BIA Kevin Washburn is among those taking partk, and says he wants to learn more about the issue directly from tribal leaders and the BIA’s public and private partners…including ideas on how to better children in Indian Country.

Oglala Sioux Tribe President Bryan Brewer, a retired educator, says the tribes are very eager to develop a direct relationship with the federal government when it comes to the provision of foster care services.

Among those taking part in the summit is former U-S Senator Jim Abourezk, who played a key role in the development of ICWA. President Brewer says the law wouldn’t exist if not for Abourezk, so he’s pleased to have him involved.

The Summit is sponsored by the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association, in conjunction with officials and ICWA directors of the 16 federally recognized tribes in the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Great Plains Region States of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska.