‘Native American Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories’
Review:
By
Shannon Burns, Today correspondent
Story Published:
Jan 21, 2009
Story Updated:
Jan 21, 2009
While the widespread issue of Native American transracial adoptions isn’t a new issue to Indian country, the published non-fiction book “Native American Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories” is not only a valuable compilation of adoption stores, but a fascinating read as well.
Rita J. Simon and Sarah Hernandez interviewed 20 American Indian adoptees, in person or through e-mail or phone when necessary. The book’s interviews section provides verbatim transcripts of each of those interviews – unabridged and unedited. Despite its Q & A format, the text reads like a well written novel, catching the reader’s interest from the start and slowly revealing a storyline as the interviewee reveals more and more about their personal experience with transracial adoption.
The interviewees include 13 females and seven males. Remarkably, the individuals have stories that differ so vastly from one another that there is no hint of repetition or ensuing boredom. Each interview contains detailed accounts; whether the reader’s interest is in American Indians, adoptions, transracial issues, cultural identity, or American culture, there’s a great deal to be learned from these pages.
The interviewers asked the adoptees many of the same questions about their lives, including how they felt growing up as American Indian in a non-Native family, what their relationship is now with their adoptive parents and biological parents, and what their personal view is on transracial adoptions and the Indian Child Welfare Act.
Some of the adoptees reported having a great upbringing, in spite of their transracial adoption.
“If all the other avenues have been sought out, I don’t think it’s a negative thing for white families to adopt Indian children because I don’t think – I wouldn’t label my experience as negative,” said Denise Engstrom, a Tuscorora Native who was adopted by a white family in upstate New York. “I think there are some things I may have missed out on or that could have been done differently, but that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t raised in a good way.”
Engstrom’s support of transracial adoptions is not shared by the majority of those interviewed for the book. Most said that Natives should definitely be kept with other Native families and each gave their own unique reasons for their opinion. Some of the adoptees faced ridicule in their all-white school, some were teased by their own siblings. Most felt they had no cultural identity.
“Personally it’s been rough,” said Andrea, one of the adoptees who didn’t want to be fully identified. “It is not easy growing up in an all-white community at all and not being able to be proud of your heritage and tell people about it openly. Then you’ve always got to wait for the little remarks and stuff like that.”
As adults, many of the adoptees sought out either their birth parents or their tribe. In some cases the Native community embraced the adoptee, other times the adoptee was unable to enroll in their tribe because they couldn’t find their birth parents. In Veronica Rose Dahmen’s case, she was told she was entitled to a $20,000 retroactive per capita payment, but was later informed that there had been an error, based on her enrollment date.
Dahmen’s interview stands apart from the rest for a few reasons. She gives thoughtful and articulate responses to each question and becomes an interesting subject for the reader to think about. As an adult, Dahmen was reunited with members of her birth family and attended her first pow wow with them. While she viewed her life and adoption positively, the reader can’t help but notice her existing lack of identification with her Native roots, despite her new knowledge of where she came from.
“I definitely look in the mirror differently now, because all my life, I – being raised in a white world, I looked in the mirror and saw a white child,” she said. “My opinion is that they (Natives) are a culture that is very beautiful and everyone should know something about the Native American culture.”
Without attempting to draw any of their own conclusions, Simon and Hernandez offer information about the adoptees that make the reader more aware of trends and statistics. In the book’s first section, “History and Analysis,” an abundance of background information is given on the history of American Indian adoptions and the evolution of its position in the United States. While the overhead theme of the book obviously asks: “Should Natives be adopted by non-Native families,” the answer to it is clearly not black and white? Despite the implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act, and widespread education on the effects of transracial adoptions, the reader will have to decide what their opinion is. The adoptees’ stories are both persuasive and thought-provoking, and fascinating and absorbing, but the diversity in the stories alone make it clear the issue is one that will be argued over for years to come.
Although the topic of transracial adoption is complex, readers who’d rather not take a position shouldn’t shy away from reading the interviews. The stories told are too original to overlook.
Sunday, Mar 29 at 2:24 AM Kanowakeron wrote ...
I was also one of the interviewees in the book and can only hope that my participation in this project might help other Split Feathers in a small way. Our stories need to be told and heard... there are many other transracially adopted Natives who struggle with identity and image issues. Talking Circles should be encouraged on a regular basis, if for no other reason than to let others know they're not alone. If I can help: cannat 'at' netzero 'dot' net.
18724681 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Mar 23 at 6:00 PM Anonymous wrote ...
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18437262 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Saturday, Feb 14 at 9:34 PM spiritinthewind95249@yahoo.com wrote ...
I am California Miwok. I am in the process of writing a book about my adoption into a non-native family and the culture shock of finding my biological family. The alcoholism and drug abuse I inflicted on my body in the early years of my life due to an emptiness I felt, and did not know why. Abandonment issues that I went through not having a connection with my birth mother. I hope my book helps heal a lot of these generational curses brought down on us. AHO To all my relations.
16533852 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Wednesday, Jan 28 at 10:25 AM Another one wrote ...
I too was adopted by a white family but lived on a reservation. I knew only a small part of my heritage through my friends. I wondered if I had brothers or sisters too. I wondered about health issues that I might need to know about. I always wanted to learn more but was not allowed to attended pow-wow's. I just wanted to learn to dance in the worst way. My family also moved from the rez into a town where I was the only indian. I have found my native family and am happy.
15618264 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Wednesday, Jan 28 at 12:19 AM Sybil wrote ...
From my understanding of the reasons why I was unable to stay with my bio.parents that being adopted was the best thing for me.Even as I look at the things might I've missed out on by being brought up in a white world,it has also given me the opportunity to have the best of both worlds. I have to say ,I'm thankful for that.
15603149 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Tuesday, Jan 27 at 2:28 PM Sybil wrote ...
Wow!Its nice to hear I'm not the only one with all these mixed feeling in adoption.There are definitly positive and neg. to adoption in ransracial and just adoption of any kind. I was in and out of homes since the age of 2,was place in a white home at the age of 4 were they adopted my at the age of 13. I had visited my Native family off and on till I was 8. Which was hard because I knew I had another family . I was proud of being native, yes the kids did tease and the history stories were neg.
15566849 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Jan 26 at 8:34 PM Dana Seilhan wrote ...
Modern thinking says being Native American is just skin color and genes. It is not. It also lies in the way a person is raised. This is how Natives being raised by whites is genocide. Take away the culture and you destroy the people.
15514494 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Jan 25 at 12:11 PM Joyce Gonzales wrote ...
As evidenced by history all separation of tribal people from their tribes is a form of genocide. Even with ICWA in place there is still much controversy over who can raise Native children best. I am thankful for allowing our voices to be heard in this book.
15446289 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Jan 25 at 9:27 AM Adopting1Soon wrote ...
My friend, Barbara Bearsinger, just wrote a three part essay on her adoption of a Native American 9 year old girl in the 70's. It's fascinating, and also amazing that Barbara was so "ahead of her time" in knowing how to keep the tribal culture alive for her daughter, even though Barbara is Caucasian.
15441149 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Jan 23 at 2:21 PM Mateo wrote ...
What about those who were not "adopted" but put into placement programs like that ran by the LDS church into the 1980's and informally still today?
15382064 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Jan 23 at 1:29 PM rserges wrote ...
But what about those who were told lies to begin with. My adoptive parents were told I was French Canadian. Took alot of research, time and funds to find out who I really was. In the end it was all good but definitely a long bumpy road.
15378899 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Jan 23 at 12:44 PM Akicita Winyan wrote ...
I am a product of "Non-native" placement. I spent most of my early years learning and living without my own kind. One thing I will always remember like it happened yesterday is this. Upon my return to my own people, I praised Custer. I was taught, he was a great military man, deserving honor and respect from all. No one ever told me it was my people that defeated Custer, my people were the savages that were gunned down like buffalo. Historical Truth after learned values-morals are destroyed?
15376044 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Thursday, Jan 22 at 2:24 PM Rosalind Hussong, Ph.D. wrote ...
I am one of those interviewed. I also work for a tribal health program. I would suggest that tribal health behavioral health programs offer "split feather" talking groups for the many Native adoptees out there.
15324074 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Thursday, Jan 22 at 12:46 PM Trace (Split Feather) wrote ...
I am a Cherokee adoptee (journalist) who had to get a judge to open my file in a closed state. I have no copies of my birth records and no tribal enrollment. There are many stages to processing this. This book gives adoptees a voice but it is only a small part of the history of genocide and colonization of children. The Indian Adoption Project left many without identity. I just finished my memoir "Split Feathers" which offers a look into this atrocity and help adoptees find their way home. WaDo.
15316999 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Thursday, Jan 22 at 12:39 PM Trace (Split Feather) wrote ...
I am a Cherokee adoptee (journalist) who had to get a judge to open my file in a closed state. I have no copies of my birth records and no tribal enrollment. There are many stages to processing this. This book gives adoptees a voice but it is only a small part of the history of genocide and colonization of children. The Indian Adoption Project left many without identity. I just finished my memoir "Split Feathers" which offers a look into this atrocity and help adoptees find their way home. Aho.
15316414 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Add a comment
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