The Indian Child Welfare Act will be before The US Supreme Court next month

The Indian Child Welfare Act was signed into legislation in 1978, and has been promoted for decades as a means of preserving Native families and culture.

The act gives Native American families priority in foster care and adoption proceedings involving Native children.

But a family from Texas initiated a lawsuit in 2017 alleging that the ICWA is unconstitutional.

Since then, the case has worked its way through the lower courts. In late February of this year, the Supreme Court agreed to review the case based upon petitions from both sides. Arguments are scheduled to take place Nov. 9.

There has been a recent push to reconsider today's holiday - Columbus Day - due to the Italian explorer's role in violence and racism against Native American people, some people and governments across the country have chosen to recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous People's Day.

We thought today was timely to look at the status of the Indian Child Welfare Act case, a case that many Native Americans are paying attention to. And we'll also consider the Ohio connection.

Stick  around as later in the hour we'll meet the new host lineup of the NPR Program Alt-Latino.

- Matthew Fletcher, Harry Burns Hutchins Collegiate Professor of Law , University of Michigan

- Rebecca Nagle, Creator and Host, “This Land” Podcast

- Amanda Rabinowitz, Host of “All Things Considered” and “Shuffle”, Ideastream Public Media

- Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre, Hosts of “Alt-Latino”