A Custody Battle Over Indian Children in Tacoma
A legal dispute over the guardianship of children between a divorced Indigenous couple highlights the complexity of family law and property rights.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Considerable acrimony was manifested in the McCaw guardianship case, which was heard before Judge Chapman yesterday. Both McCaw and his divorced wife, who is now Mrs. Calvert, were present, and each is an applicant for the guardianship of the children. Some time ago, Mrs. Calvert leased a piece of property which belonged to the children, and a lawsuit was the result. The court, in the decree of divorce, granted to the mother the custody of the children, and the question raised is whether the mother acted within the law by leasing the property before the court had decided who should be guardian. McCaw and Mrs. Calvert are both well-educated Indians. McCaw is a cashier in a bank at Yakima and Mrs. Calvert was formerly connected with the Puyallup Indian school as an instructor. Calvert is a white man and is an employee of the postoffice department of this city. Hayden & Shackleford represent Mrs. Calvert, and Clifford & Whitson of Yakima are attorneys for McCaw.
“Considerable acrimony was manifested in the McCaw guardianship case.”
This story highlights the historical intersection of Indigenous legal agency and the often-intrusive role of the state in family matters. Disputes over property rights and parental status reflect systemic challenges for Indigenous families that have evolved but remain relevant in modern legal landscapes.
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