Lente v. Notah

OPINION AND ORDER

THE CASE BEFORE THE COURT

This is a child custody case in which a Navajo father and a Commanche mother are striving for the custody of their daughter. Carla Lente (plaintiff and mother) and Louis Notah (defendant and father) were married on April 5, 1974. On August 15, 1975 their daughter, Michelle, was born. Michelle is now 6h years old.

A divorce was commenced by the mother, and on August 26, 1976 the parents entered into a written stipulation that the mother should have custody of the child. That stipulation' was incorporated into the court's decree of divorce, entered on…