As an attorney, Valerie Nurr'araluk Davidson has been involved with the Indian Child Welfare for much of her career. She was raised in two remote Yup'ik communities, Bethel and Aniak, where she learned first hand about the impacts of historical trauma on children and families.
When she was tapped by Governor Bill Walker to serve as his Health and Social Services Commissioner, she helped to negotiate a tribal health compact with the state in 2017, that led to improved services for Alaska Native children.
Look for Part 2 of this series of interviews: Analysis from Alex Claighorn, Alaska Native Justice Center.
Davidson is currently head of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. She applauded the US Supreme Court’s decision to uphold ICWA for many reasons – but mainly because it keeps the decisions made to protect children, closer to home.
She talked with KNBA’s Rhonda McBride about how ICWA has helped to improve services for Indian and Alaska Native children, progress that might have been jeopardized, had the Court overturned ICWA.
