The Supreme Court has preserved a federal law giving preference to Native American families when it comes to adopting Native children in foster care. The court's 7-2 ruling Thursday leaves in place the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, which aims to reverse centuries of government-sanctioned efforts to weaken tribal identity by separating Native American children from their families and raising them outside their tribal cultures.
Here are some things to know about the law and the issues around it:
