Foster Care and Adoption highlighted at CNO Powwow

On November 4-6, the Choctaw Nation held its annual powwow at the Choctaw Event Center in Durant, Okla. The event drew thousands of people who came to participate in Native American culture through dance, drumming, singing and craftwork.

On Saturday, the powwow held a special honor song for Native Americans who were part of the foster care or adoption systems.

The following song was read over drumming provided by Full Metal Jacket.

“It is a heartbreaking fact that in our Indian communities we have lost many family members over the years because they were taken, put in foster care, or adopted out to non-Native families. We know that these children grow up to be adults that sometimes come looking for us. They return and attend cultural events like powwows to see if they can connect with their lost family and culture.

If anyone like that is here today, we see you. We want to honor you and welcome you home. To anyone whose life has been touched by family loss, whether you were in foster care, or an adoptee, or a birth parent, or adoptive parent, or if you were never even adopted at all, we see you. You are part of our Chahta family, and you are part of our hearts, and you deserve to share in our beliefs of faith, family and culture. To each of you, we say welcome home. We honor and love you.

To our Chahta foster children, whether you aged out or if you were adopted, and to our birth parents, and adoptive families, please come into our circle as we honor you with this song. You are welcome here. We know that there are those who could not be here today, and to represent them, we have some of our tribal leaders, our Children and Family Services workers and tribal prosecutors who will come stand in the circle to represent the ones who are not here. To our extended Chahta family, chi hullo li. Welcome home.”