§372a Heirs by Adoption

Summary

When the Department of the Interior handles an Indian person's estate, an adopted person will not be accepted as an heir unless the adoption was already accepted by the Department before this law went into effect or was relied on when distributing the estate of an Indian who died before that date. An adoption by Indian custom made before the law took effect can be made valid if it is put on record with the superintendent while both the adoptive parent and the adopted child are still alive, if the adoptive parent asks for the record, and if the adopted child either asks (if an adult) or the superintendent approves (for a minor).