National
Navajo boy wants to stay with his new 'mom'


A Navajo boy whose biological mother was killed by her boyfriend says he wants to stay with his new "mom."

Shiloh Edsitty, 13, is in the temporary guardianship of Vivian Powell, a non-Indian woman living in New York. Powell was a friend of Edsitty's mother, Teresa Tilden, who was killed in a domestic-related incident in Las Vegas last November. Shiloh was also stabbed several times.

Powell was teaching on the Navajo Nation when she first met Tilden. But Tilden said she "despised" living on the reservation.

Powell doesn't want Shiloh to go back to the reservation either and is seeking permanent guardianship. The Navajo Nation wants to ensure Shiloh is aware of his heritage and culture.

Powell plans to move to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Get the Story:
Clinging to a heartfelt hope (The Buffalo News 2/24)

Related Stories:
Navajo boy stabbed by man who killed his mother (02/03)