Amanda M. Peidlow, n/k/a Marlana Rexford v. Peter T. Williams, Vera A. Williams, and Waska A. Williams Jr., Native…

Summary

The court vacated the superior court’s orders denying recognition of the Native Village of Barrow tribal court’s custody orders and denying the mother’s motion to modify custody. It held that the superior court was required to determine whether the tribal orders arose from an ICWA-defined child custody proceeding and, if so, apply ICWA’s full-faith-and-credit mandate and related procedures before rejecting the tribal court’s jurisdiction. The case was remanded for further proceedings, including reconsideration of the tribe’s intervention request.