What was the duration of time between various steps along the road to adoption?
First, the critical ethnographic research methodology appears to be an appropriate approach for gathering information within different cultural contexts and for encouraging informants to voice their perspectives not only on what was and is the context for families, children, and child welfare systems, but also to reflect on what could be. Second, initial observations suggest a number of important issues which will guide further study. Among these observations are: (1) important differences among Ojibwe community members. Those members who are employed by the tribal social services department do not appear to question state and federal institutions, policies, and practices, while elders remember a time when all of the community was involved in child rearing and continue to practice this value daily by incorporating children and grandchildren in their activities. (2) deeply-held views by some key county child welfare staff that no cultural differences exist between Ojibwe people and Euro
