In re K.T.

FACTS

CFS began investigating this family for physical abuse in January 2019 after one

of mother’s children died in her care and the autopsy revealed the child bore signs of

nonaccidental trauma. At the time, mother and D.’s father, D.M., were living together and

caring for K.T. and his younger half brother, D.M., Jr., who is not a party to this appeal.

D. had not yet been born, and K.T.’s father, was incarcerated.

At the initial detention hearing in March 2019, mother claimed Blackfeet ancestry

through the maternal grandfather. She provided his full legal name and phone number, as

well as the name, phone number, and address of the maternal aunt. The maternal

grandmother, who was also present at the hearing, provided dates and places of birth for

the maternal grandfather and great-grandmother. The juvenile court told mother CFS

would try to obtain additional information from these family members, but the record

contains no indication they ever did. Instead, a few weeks later, CFS sent notice to the

Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana that omitted tribal and

biological information for the maternal great-grandmother, despite the…