Father Of Cherokee Girl To Be Honored In Tulsa

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – The biological father of a Cherokee girl at the center of a yearslong custody battle is scheduled to be honored at the 70th annual National Congress of American Indians.

Dusten Brown, the father of 4-year-old Veronica, will be honored Tuesday at the meeting in Tulsa.

Last week, Brown announced he was dropping all custody claims and was working with the South Carolina couple who adopted Veronica on ways he could be involved in her life.

Veronica had been the subject of court battles since she was born to a non-Cherokee mother, who put the girl up for adoption. Matt and Melanie Capobianco of Charleston, S.C., had been lined up to receive custody since 2009.

Last month, Oklahoma’s Supreme Court dissolved an order keeping Veronica in the state.