Fetal Alcohol Syndrome with Stereotyping

There are many people who believe that when a child is born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome that the mother must be a alcoholic, and in general, most people believe that a infant born with FAS is born to a Native mother.

We need to stop putting race with the fact that some women drink alcohol while pregnant, and not all of them are alcoholics.

I go back to a time in my young adult days, I went to a bar with some friends. A female was there, obviously very pregnant, bragging how she was in labor, and told her friend "Fill up my glass! It is going to be a long night for me and I need all the help I can get!" the gals at the table laughed while one of them poured her a full glass of beer from the pitcher on the table. I had to say something, so I went up to the pregnant female and stated "I don't think your unborn child needs all that alcohol" I was told to mind my own business, but I couldn't. I promptly replied "This is my business, I know you have four children at home, I know you are a single mother living on welfare, I know my tax dollars are paying for you, your children, and will pay for the birth and the difficulties your unborn baby will have once it is born, the only thing my tax dollars will not be responsible for is if your baby dies from this alcohol you are drinking, you will be responsible for the funeral costs, if you are in labor will have a significant effect on the baby!" I wish I could say she put the glass down, but she didn't.

I knew who this female was because I have seen her all over town, and the guys said she was a "door knob" meaning "everyone gets a turn" so she had a reputation, and watching her actions for several years let me know that there was truth to the rumors.

The pregnant woman did indeed give birth the next day, the infant did indeed have problems, but was never put into the child protection services system. Today, that child is a adult, who has problems, and is in trouble with the law. It is a sad situation, one I know could have been prevented, but the one thing about this situation I feel is very important, is this woman is not Native, she is a white woman who had no dignity for herself nor care for her children.

I do not drink, but I also try not to be judgmental about it. I have never been a alcoholic, not that I did not try alcohol, I just do not like the taste of it.

With the help of friends, they alert me to things happening on Facebook, and such is this posting is from one of the people who post things.

I introduce you to a woman named Sarah J. Powell from Mauston, Wisconsin who posted between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. on a Indian Child Welfare page:

Sarah J Powell Do you even know what the Indian child welfare act is

 

Sarah J Powell Today you may want to look at what it is again..it was designed to keep children safe from resists maybe but it also prevents any other nationality from having anything to do with their brothers, sisters, neices, nephews and so in.....it is rasist it self...period

 

Sarah J Powell But the Tribe will sit by and let government courts do whatever, they will sit by and let abuse and neglect happen before they step in and use Indian monies to "protect their own"

 

Sarah J Powell Alot of abuse and neglect happens within TRIBES and they won't do a thing unless, God for bid a white family or any other for the matter steps in...what happens when the child is mixed race???? Indian child welfare act has control. ..yep....

 

Sarah J Powell I know first hand lady!!! Maybe you need to educate yourself

 

Sarah J Powell Blinde?? Really?? How is stereotyping now...racist much??

 

Sarah J Powell Oh I think I do...ever look at statistics of children born with fetal alcohol syndrome?

 

Sarah J Powell Just going on my own experience of course. ..I'm sure there are alot out there that really do give a shit bit the ones that don't give the majority a bad name...likes whites or blacks too

 

Sarah J Powell But I am a auntie that saves her niece at a very young age and because I could not prove Indian in my background was not suitable

 

Sarah J Powell Yet family who never even knew she existed who lived in a trailer by that was condemned shortly after they got her was suitable

 

Sarah J Powell And now they don't let any of the family have a part in her life. It hurts...but it is killing my mom...and there isn't a thing we can do...because she is hochunck. ...and sorry...but that's fucked up...plain and simple

No doubt I left out the person she was trying to involve in a debate, because as I understand, less than half way through the debate, Sarah J. Powell blocked the person and continued the rant, so I have decided to take this and answer what she is obviously confused about.

First she claims that the law was to keep children away from "rasists" then goes on to say the law is "rasist" ohhh I get it, she means RACIST!

No Sarah J. Powell, the law is not racist, in fact, the law was designed to stop the forced removal of Native children and put into homes of white people in a attempt to "kill the Indian save the child" theory. It was believed that if a child was not raised in their culture, then they would cease to be Indian people, and that itself is racist because the only reason children were removed is because they were and are Native children.

Of course a tribe is going to "protect their own" because as a tribe, we are a family, as a family we will deal with the issues.

Abuse and neglect of children happens in all races, all cultures, it happens in every country on earth, but you believe it only happens in Native communities? Seriously, who needs the education on the subject of why there is Child Protection Services in every state, every town in the USA?

What happens when a child is of mixed race? The Indian Child Welfare Act is for children who parent(s) are enrolled in a federally recognized tribe, and the child must be enrolled or eligible for enrollment. In cases of mixed race, a non tribe member is included in the proceedings as if they are a tribe member. In fact, if a non Native parent does not wish for the case to be heard in tribal court, they only have to object.

Sarah J. Powell claims the person she is debating is racist, yet goes on to use "fetal alcohol syndrome". Again, this is a issue that crosses all color, culture and financial lines:

CDC Data

Sarah J. Powell claims that she is a "auntie" who "saved" her "niece" at a "very young age" because she could not prove Indian in her background.  The truth is, her being a aunt gives her no legal standing in any case involving a minor child when a legal parent has not had their parental rights taken away. It does not matter what court, or what color the child is, Sarah J. Powell has no legal standing. How ironic Sarah J. Powell decides to claim to be Native in a attempt to manipulate the law, but she made a false claim, she does not understand the requirements in being a enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe.

Sarah is upset that the family, by her claims, lives in a trailer, and that it was condemned shortly after the family got this child.. Really? I guess she does not know home studies are done. But perhaps, if she were truly concerned, she would be contacting her law makers and asking them why the federal treaties are being broken and Indians are forced to live in what she feels is unsuitable housing.

Sarah J. Powell's last entry is quite telling, once you put this all together, the mother of this child is her relation, per Sarah's information that they family did "not know the child existed" the family would be that of the father, but then someone in the family had to know, because they went to court for custody of this child, perhaps the mother was neglecting and abusing this child and the state stepped in, and the state awarded the child to the father and his family because the child's mothers family is not stable. Sarah, it appears, is on a late night rant, with too much to drink herself, wanting to put the blame on a law that in reality, helped to protect a Native child. I am sure if the Ho Chunk Nation were to be contacted their story would be quite different than that of Ms. Powell.

 I am sure Sarah J. Powell's family is upset over the loss of contact, that too is telling, it tells me that there is conflict between these two families. Something has happened and contact was cut off between them and this innocent child. Perhaps it is the allegations that the child is neglected and abused by them? Perhaps it is a obvious racist attitude by Sarah J, Powell, but I am sure it is something very serious that happened. ICWA does not, I repeat, DOES NOT get involved in custody cases where one parent wants custody, they get involved with the state has stepped in and removed a child for the welfare of that child. This child was removed from Powell. With a late night drunk rant, it seems it was the best action taken,

Sarah, you can complain about the blog, you can complain about the use of the photos, but all you have written, and your photos were in a public domain on the internet, therefore you have no copyright to them.

Life Lessons

There are many things in life that teach us lessons. I was deeply moved by a women who was 93.


The woman, out of respect for her, and she recently passed away, I will not reveal her name right now. She would be the first to tell you she had a wonderful life. She grew, married, had children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her life was rich with love, and she had her fair share of heart breaks and hardships that we all experience.


She is mourned by her family, and those who knew her.


Her obituary was not like most, because she wrote it, she wrote knowing one day it would be a very short story of her life.... she was adopted. Back in time, when she was born to a unmarried mother and father, it was shame that a family gave for a baby born out of wedlock. Her mother had no choice but to give her infant up for adoption. The laws then were court sealed papers, generally biological parents were erased out of the child's life, as if they never existed.


I cannot tell you of the woman's family who adopted her, she really did not speak of them, but when she learned she was adopted, she was treated like she was to be shamed. Like other adoptee's, she had a deep desire to learn of her biological family.


She was raised in a German culture, her genetics were not of the German descent, and she never felt that she fit into this culture.


When she became a adult, she searched for who she was, without the aid of computers, or the internet, she went to the city of her birth, and she dug for any information she could get. It took her years, and finally, with all the odds stacked against her, she was able to find her biological family. It was only then, when she met her mother, her father, that she fit in. It brought peace to her heart.


Her obituary was simple, but it spoke of truth, it begins when she was born, where she was born, who she was born to, and it listed her birth parents name, then it stated she was adopted by, Mr. and Mrs. and that she was raised five hundred miles from her place of birth.


Those who proceeded her in death were her parents, her adoptive parents and her husband. On her survivors is listed her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and a half brother. A BROTHER! Her biological father later married and had a son! She was so joyous to find him, and get to know him before she passed away.


Through her, we learn, that when taken from your real family, and forced to live a lie, never stops knowing when you do not belong, genetics go way deep into the soul. Inside, you know, you know you don't belong. There is a desire deep inside that wants to connect to your place where you should have been in life.


Perhaps the greatest thing I learned from her is that she detested the German foods she was forced to eat, she much preferred Italian foods, she knew that when she grew up, sausage and kraut would not be a staple in her house, and as it turns out, her mother who carried her for nine months, was Italian, and thus, those foods were imprinted on her biologically.


I am not against adoption, but adopters need to look to the history of a family and see if this child will be happy with their life style, because no matter how much money they have, you cannot change the genetics of a child. You cannot force a child to like foods, sports or hobbies if that is not part of a child's genetic makeup.


I am touched that someone who graced my life was able to teach me so much, not just in life, but in her death.


I wonder what Veronica Brown Capobianco will chose for her obituary? What will she have to say about her life? Being forced away from a family who loved her, and wanted her. Taken by a selfish childless couple in their desire to obtain this child. Will she even mention the Capobianco's?


Veronica's life story is being written as she grows, it is up to the Capobianco's to watch themselves in their behavior as to how she will write about them...