What if an adopted Indian child does not know the court that entered the final adoption decree?
Section 1951(a) requires state courts to provide information to the Secretary of the Interior concerning Indian adoptions. If an adoptee does not know the court that entered the final adoption decree, he or she can contact the Secretary through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). BIA offices are listed in this Practical Guide’s Resources Section. As the federal agency charged with the responsibility to serve as the central registry, the BIA supposedly maintains the records of adopted Indian children since November of 1978. Although the BIA’s registry may be extremely limited, in some instances, it may serve as a starting point for Indian adoptees who do not know the court that entered the final adoption decree. Alternatively, in some cases an adoptee may be successful in obtaining adoption records by contacting the adoption agency directly.
