Where do I start, and how?

by Leland P. Morrill Adopted Native American Citizenship Affected by The REAL ID Act of 2005 on Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at 5:24pm
Change...kinda hard huh. I was just watching my online friend Ryan Yezak's video Moving On, very inspiring.
HERE IT IS just in case you need some inspiration in your life:

One area of my life that has had a continual focus has been on the years of research to obtain my Navajo Nation Birth Affidavit and membership back into the Navajo Nation. I thought perhaps it would be a great idea now that some time has passed to start and catalogue or write steps to help others. Any suggestions of areas where to take this page from here forward is something I am struggling with.
breathe, breathe breathe

First off, if you don't have any understanding of the Real ID Act, you can read the Wikipedia content here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REAL_ID_Act and then you can "GOOGLE" the subject if you feel you need to.

How does The Real ID ACT of 2005 affect me?
When you apply or renew a State issued Identification Card or Drivers License you will have to supply proof of your existence.

For most people this will be easy. You will need:
An original copy of your State issued Birth Certificate
An original copy of your Social Security Card issued by the Social Security Administration
a photo, usually taken on the spot once you have provided the first two. Just out of habit, of renewing, you'll probably show your current expiring State issued ID or DL card.
Pay the fee and you're done.

This page/blog is more for Native Americans born within one of the fifty States of America who were adopted out of their tribe without proper documentation such as a State issued Birth Certificate or National (Native Nation) Birth Certificate/Affidavit. Sometime in addition to not having a birth document, you may not be enrolled into your respective Nation or Tribe, as in my case.

Where do you go from here if the local DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) denies you a State issued identification card or drivers license card?
If you're an adopted Native American, one of the first places to start your search is your Final Judgement of Adoption, aka adoption papers. Make sure you have an original copy, or a certified copy. If, over the years you only have a photocopy, or G*d-forbid, a mimeographed one (LOL) then you'll need to contact the issuing Family Court.

Be thankful today we live in the INFORMATION AGE. GOOGLE, or search for the address, website, telephone number of the issuing Family Court. It's a great idea to call them. Find out what form, or if you have to write a letter, what is required and start assembling that and send it off. These days, who knows, it may be as easy as filling out an online form, submitting it and paying it with a credit/debit card and then waiting for them to send you an original copy of your Final Judgement of Adoption. You may be required to download, print, fill it out, sign, date and then have it notorized. Some copy, office supply stores have notaries & the prices will vary. Here in Los Angeles, the price of a notary I used at Coast Stationary in my neighborhood on Spring Street here in Los Angeles.

My local Notary Public is located at an office supply store here in Los Angeles on Spring Street!

Coast Stationary was great for me as they also had a fax machine, internet as well as the notary service. They charged me a $10.00 notary fee. That will give you an idea of how much it may cost you to notarize your documents as you continue to research your documentation. By the way, it's a great idea to purchase multiple copies of "originals" from the State or National Family Court because you may end up having to one to a State Vital Statistics office, another to a "Native" Nation Vital Statistics office and then, OH YEA!!!! YOU NEED at least ONE! :D
Just sayin!

On your Final Judgement of Adoption look to see if your birth date, birth location and census number are on it. If they are not. Call back the State or National Family Court and ask why they are not on the document. In my case, for some mysterious reason, the Navajo Nation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, State of Arizona turned a blind eye to this and Judge Joe Benalley signed off on the adoption and my parents fled off to Canada with me and my Navajo sister the day after our adoption, July 16, 1971. Yup...well actually, my adopted dad was transferred with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (A whole other "story"). Getting back on subject. Sometimes, as in my case, the adopting parents were supposed to fill out the application for a birth certificate and the application will still be laying in a file somewhere. If not. you're going to have to start your search.

If your adopted parents are still alive, ask them all the questions you can currently think of about your adoption. Find out any stories they heard along the way of adopting you. If you were a foster child, what was your last name, did you have siblings, aunties, uncles, cousins, etc. Are there any pre-adoption medical records? What hospitals, medical centers?

WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN.
Utilize the internet.
If you do not have the internet at home, find an internet cafe, or a wi-fi hotspot. If you have a public library, use their computers or utilize their "hotspot" with your own laptop/netbook. I'm in my local library writing this note/blogpost...Yup, The Central Library downtown LA. :D

Tuesday June 21, 2011, Central Library, Los Angeles, California.

After you've written everything down, applied and sent off the necessary forms for your original copies of your adoption papers... that's your starting point.
The next entry will start where this one ended.
IF you have any suggestions about this entry, PLEASE "comment". Oh, an LIKE my page