Adoption Case Topic Of Discussion At Tulsa Indian Child Welfare Conference

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments next week to decide if a Green Country father will keep custody of his daughter.

Three-year-old Veronica was given up for adoption as a baby, but her birth father wanted her back. Dusten Brown cited the Indian Child Welfare Act, saying the little girl belonged with a family that shares her native heritage.

The South Carolina Supreme Court agreed, and ruled the adoptive family had to give her up.

1/4/2013 Related Story: Supreme Court To Review Native American Adoption Involving Oklahoma Girl

The fight to keep Veronica was one of the topics to kick off the National Indian Child Welfare Association's national conference, in Tulsa Monday.

They say the outpouring a support for Veronica's family has been amazing and that she's thriving here in Oklahoma.

"What I have told everyone that asks is, if you saw this family together and you didn't know the history of this story, you wouldn't think this was anything other than a 3-and-a-half-year-old girl with her family," said Cherokee Nation Assistant Attorney General Chrissi Nimmo.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Indian Child Welfare Act.