Washington, DC - The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) has released the following statement regarding yesterday’s South Carolina Supreme Court order calling on the South Carolina Family Court to order a transfer of custody of Baby Girl – Veronica - to the Adoptive Couple involved:

“We are witnessing the final steps in a forced removal of a Native child from her father, her family, and her Native community.

NCAI is astounded and alarmed that the South Carolina Supreme Court has issued an order to transfer Veronica, the daughter of Dusten Brown, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, to the adoptive couple and doing so without holding a hearing to determine the best interests of the child. There is no scenario in which the best interests of this three year old child will be served by removing her from her loving father and family raising her in Oklahoma. Mr. Brown pursued his right to care for his biological daughter since the moment he learned of the adoption. A removal of the child will be extremely traumatic for her and is clearly not in her best interest.“