Today is Monday, February 7, 2022. It has been 39 days since reports have been made for child abuse of native children in two Carlton County homes in Minnesota. The homes of Dawn Ammesmaki and Nicole Ammesmaki. In addition to the original report filed there have been many past victims that have come forward with stories that corroborate the abuse that is happening now in these homes. There has been picture and video proof of the abuse, the children have been removed from the homes but because some of these children were adopted the adoptive parents still have the rights to try and get them back. Originally all of these children were foster care children, and they were placed into the care of these two women by Carlton County and St. Louis County, MN. 

After the initial report 39 days ago the children were removed from the homes but only for 72 hours. Carlton county found that they were not in imminent danger because the pictures and videos were six months to a year old. That ruling led to community outrage and disappointment with the whole system. Community members and parents and family of the children organized multiple protests and held a sacred  fire for the children in an attempt to get them removed from the home because of the fear of ongoing abuse. The Fond du Lac band and a private attorney hired by the family both filed petitions to the court to have the children removed from the homes. The children were removed from the homes because the judge ruled that they are in imminent danger.

Abuse of native children in the foster care system and adoption is not something that is new. The foster care system was designed to assimilate native children, it is 2022 and native children are still not protected in these systems. Historically foster care and adoption of native children has led to forced assimilation and genocide of native people. The foster care system is also directly linked to the epidemic of Missing in Murdered Indigenous people. In 2016 a child that was residing in the Fond du Lac reservation was placed into foster care, taken away from Fond du Lac and placed in a home in Bemidji where she was murdered. Her murderer only got 3.4 years in prison. There is a serious problem with the lack of protection of Indigenous children in the foster care system and the justice system. 

We are petitioning to demand criminal charges on both women. These two women have abused children in their homes for over a decade, the picture and video proof of assault should be enough for initial charges on these women. We understand that investigations take time and not with the influx of testimonies investigations do take time, but we are petitioning today to let our voices be heard and be understood that we will not stop fighting until we get justice for all past and present victims of these abusers.  Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are. We will not let this be swept underneath the rug. We collectively as a community and nation demand that the system stop protecting these abusers and start protecting the children! Every Child Matters!