Marie Martin
ICWA Coordinator
Spirit Lake Tribe
PO Box 356
Fort Totten, ND 58335
Office: (701) 766-4855 Cell: (701) 351-3585 Fax: (701) 766-4856
Email: slticwadir@spiritlakenation.com
The Indian Child Welfare Act department is to "Protect the best interests of Indian Children and to promote the stability of Indian tribes and families." This is accomplished by tribal court approval of one of three options. They are 1) intervene (monitor) the state court case of an enrolled child, 2) transfer the case to tribal court with the assurance of needed resources to serve the child, or 3) take no action. Social Service policies and procedures state that "all new ICWA cases which are sent to the Director of ICWA shall be reviewed with Tribal Court for their direction. Both the Director and the assistance participate in court hearing, family team meetings, and working with the various systems to ensure the best outcome for the child.