The Minnesota Republican Party called state Rep. Heather Keeler's post 'extremist rhetoric'
By Andrew Mark Miller | Fox News
Texas family fights in Supreme Court to keep adopted Native American child due to law that favors tribes: 'Racial discrimination'
Chad and Jennifer Brackeen are litigants in a Supreme Court case set for oral arguments next month over the Indian Child Welfare Act, which their lawyers say is racially discriminatory against non-Native families seeking to adopt Native children.
A Minnesota Democrat in the state legislature is facing criticism after alllegedly posting online that White Christians who adopt Native American children are contributing to "genocide."
"I’m sick of white Christians adopting our babies and rejoicing," Minnesota State Rep. Heather Keeler posted on her personal Facebook page recently, according to Alpha News.
"It’s a really sad day when that happens. It means the genocide continues.
"If you care about our babies, advocate against the genocide," the post continued. "Help the actual issues impacting indigenous parents, stop stealing our babies and changing their names under the impression you are helping. White saviors are the worst!"
NATIVE AMERICAN LEADER DENOUNCES INDIGENOUS FESTIVAL BY ‘MADE-UP GROUP’: 'WOULDN'T BE CAUGHT DEAD'
Minnesota State Rep. Heather Keeler (Minnesota House YouTube)
The post from Keeler, who is Native American and an enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, followed up on a post from her professional Facebook page with a similar sentiment that said "stripping" Native American children of their "identity" is a "form of genocide."
Fox News Digital could not independently verify the post on her private account, which was captured in a screenshot by Alpha News. News station KVRR said Keeler didn't deny making the post.
The Republican Party of Minnesota responded to the comments, calling the post a "racist rant."
The Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. (Google Earth)
"There is no place in our political discourse for attacks on Minnesotans’ race or religions," Minnesota Republican Party Chairman David Hann said in a statement. "We condemn this hateful and extremist rhetoric in the strongest possible terms and call on all Democrats to do the same."
The statement named prominent Democrats in the state who should "unequivocally denounce this hate speech immediately."
NATIVE AMERICAN GROUP GIVEN RIGHTS TO 1970S 'CRYING INDIAN' AD
Wheeler did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Wheeler is cosponsoring a bill that will "make improvements to the federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 that establishes child protection procedures and requirements for children who are members of or eligible for membership in a federally recognized Tribe."
Three Yaqui Indian Native American girls in Arizona who are foster children protected by the Indian Child Welfare Act. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
According to a press release, the bill "makes technical changes and adds numerous provisions to the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA), incorporating federal ICWA procedures and requirements for voluntary and involuntary child placement and permanency proceedings."
The Supreme Court is weighing whether it should toss out or severely dismantle the Indian Child Welfare Act meant to protect Native American rights in state child custody proceedings. It has long been championed by tribal leaders as a means of preserving their families and culture.
Andrew Mark Miller is a writer at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment