Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Termination of Parental Rights
Juvenile court properly determined that nine-year-old minor was not subject to Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) prior to terminating Respondent mother's parental rights. Mother admitted that she stated that she had "Seminole Creek" heritage and that "Seminole Creek" is not a tribe recognized by Bureau of Indian Affairs. State complied with its duties under the ICWA by sending notices to BIA. No letters from various Indian tribes with whom Respondent claimed heritage were part of record, and notices sent by State to tribes were sufficient under ICWA. (PALMER and McBRIDE, concurring.)