We would like to thank you for taking the time to come and view the website and read our story.  This website is specifically designed to tell you how our precious Marissa was maliciously taken from us by the Seneca Nation Indians Judicial system and to bring awareness to the unfair and wrong doings that are going on right now with the Seneca Nation Indians Peacemakers court.  They are violating federal laws and taking away the rights we have as American Citizens.   Please take the time to read our story and we hope when we are through we will have your support in our fight to get Marissa back!!   Where to begin???

Marissa Prechtel is a 4 year old beautiful little girl who just wants to come home to her mother and sister.  Recently Marissa was taken from her mother and family by the Seneca Nation Indians and placed on their reservation and now her family cannot get to her.   The Seneca Nation Indians Peacemakers Court ordered full custody for selfish and unjust reasons to Marissa's father and left her mother, sister, and family an emotional wreck and wreaked havoc on their lives.  This is not a story about a custody case of a scorned mother who has lost her child.  This is a story about a mother whose child was maliciously taken away from her without any valid explanations.

This took place in a court that lies right here in the USA but claims they are exempt from following the same rules as the rest of our country.  An employee of the Tribal Justice center in Washington DC stated the Seneca Nation didn't sign the United States Constitution therefore they do not have to follow it.  They are a Sovereign Nation where they can make their own rules and call their own shots.  That is all fine if they as a nation agree to follow those rules and they rule only over members of that nation.  But this sovereign nation is now trying to rule over non-natives, American Citizens who do follow the constitution, who do follow the rules and regulations of the USA.  The SNI consists of a court of individuals who do not need a formal education, do not need a Law degree, and do not have to know anything outside their tribal laws.  We, as American citizens have that right to go in front of an educated professional and we trust them to make these kinds of decisions.  When you go in front of a “Seneca Nation of Indians Peacemakers judge” you do not get that.  This is the problem, which is what this is all about.  This has got to stop, not only for Amanda, but for every other non-native that is forced to live with the injustice of the Seneca Nation Peacemakers Court.

For 4 years Marissa has lived with her mommy and sister. She is a happy beautiful little girl who loves to be princess.  She is the centerpiece of everyone's lives. Recently that centerpiece was taken from us. Marissa, her mom Amanda, and her sister Tori's worlds were flipped upside down.

Are you asking why and how?  Amanda and Marissa's dad had a good relationship.  He was invited to birthday parties, holidays, and he took Marissa a couple nights here and there.  Amanda even had him come over and baby sit some times.  They had the working relationship that most in that kind of situation could only wish for.  They both seemed to be more interested in what was best for Marissa and were able to put all their differences aside. Marissa's father and mom both shared their responsibility of being a parent.  But Marissa was Amanda's baby, it was a whole year before Marissa's father came into the picture.  Everything was going great until he found a girlfriend and now Fiance and it appears to us that she wanted to be in charge.

Marissa's dad went behind Amanda's back in March of 2007 and petitioned custody in the SNI (Seneca Nation Indians) Peacemakers Court .  Marissa's father saw this as an opportunity to use his new found status as a SNI to try to take Marissa from her Mother.

Of course you would think that Amanda shouldn't have anything to worry about she is a good mother.  But how can you prove anything in a court that has their decision made before you even arrive?

And how can the SNI have power or authority over a "non-native child" and a "white woman" who does not reside on the SNI Reservation and are not Seneca Indians?  For the record, the SNI are a matrilineal heritage meaning their bloodlines flow through their mothers.  Although Marissa's father is a SNI, Marissa is not and can NEVER be one.  You would think that was enough to bring the Jurisdiction here to Elk County . Wrong, just like Marissa's dad wanted, the Jurisdiction remained in the SNI Peacemakers court.


The first Lawyer Amanda hired in the beginning told her repeatedly that she had nothing to worry about and that she didn't even need to go to the Jurisdiction hearings. He told her not to go and he would take care of everything. We trusted that what he was telling her to do was correct after all he is a professional. To be honest, Amanda was not concerned about Marissa's father getting custody at all. Amanda knows she is a good mother and makes sure her children are well taken care of.  She is the one that has nursed Marissa and Tori when they were sick and when they had "boo-boos."  She has been there for their bad dreams, has done all the things that just come natural for a mother.  Marissa's father had not been, but was welcomed into her life when she was almost one.

Amanda's first Lawyer called her and told her that Marissa's dad had gained the Jurisdiction for the custody hearing in Salamanca NY, and in fact that was when Amanda had found out this had been the 2nd hearing, 2nd hearing?    Everyone had an uneasy feeling about this Lawyer and the fact we just learned there was a 2nd hearing and we lost Jurisdiction to the Peacemakers Court confirmed our feelings. NO ONE was comfortable about him representing Amanda in Court ever again.  This is her child, her baby, we are talking about and she was not going to risk that.  Amanda was advised to hire a Lay Advocate from the SNI reservation which she was told by many including government officials in Washington DC , as a non-native this would be an excellent choice because the lay advocates know the tribal laws and guidelines and could very effectively represent her in the SNI Peacemakers Court.  So she hired a lay advocate by the name of Carlton Farmer, she felt comfortable with what he told her, after all he used to be an appellate SNI judge he boasted that he knew the process.  During the wait for the hearing Carlton continued to advised her not to worry that she is a good mother and this would be a piece of cake.  They would just work out some visitation and be in and out in fifteen minutes.

So on August 29, 2007 we all packed up and headed to Salamanca for the custody hearing.  Little did we know this hearing would be a Lynching for Amanda.  To explain all of the events that took place during this hearing in the SNI Peacemakers Court would take so very long so I will present them to you briefly so you have an idea of what happened to Amanda, a good mother, a United States Citizen, here in her own Country.

Amanda was not allowed to have any family members accompany her in the courtroom, only her advocate.  Marissa's dad however, was present along with his girlfriend and his lawyer.   That was only the beginning.  Amanda was torn apart the minute the hearing started.  Marissa's father would answer questions that his lawyer asked him.  These questions were based on events that had no bearing on the issues on the petition.  They were exaggerations and untruths and None of them pertained to Amanda and her ability to be a good mother.  He exaggerated on confrontations between the two of them.  He was dishonest about his visitation stating Amanda did not allow him to take her upon request.  None of these items had anything to do with Amanda as a mother.  The judges listened to Marissa's father as if he was telling the gospel truth and they had no concern about what Amanda had to say.  Marissa's father and Lawyer only stated speculations and their versions of items that did not pertain to the merit if the petition. They were hearsay. They were stories.  There was no evidence to support these things they were saying.  Amanda, however, had evidence that she was a good mother, She brought letters from Marissa's church, from her school, from her pediatrician. Amanda also brought newspaper articles of all the different events and activities that Marissa has participated in.  She had good character witnesses to speak on her behalf. 

However, SNI Peacemakers Judges threw her letters out, they clearly were not interested in anything Amanda had to say or show on her behalf. They stated that these things were hearsay and would not read them.  The Peacemaker Judges told her they did not want to see anything she brought and especially did not need a witness.  It was all hearsay to them.  But Marissa's dad went in there with only speculations, exaggerations and half truths with no valid evidence to support his testimony.  He had no evidence to support everything he was saying about Amanda.  Amanda did however.  She had proof she took care of her baby, she had valid evidence to support her ability to be a good mother to Marissa.  Really, the SNI judges had no interest in what Amanda had to offer.  Their mind was made up and they made that clear.  Amanda was not given a fair chance to talk.  She was put in her place if she spoke up.  During the hearing she was never given the chance to tell her versions, or defend herself against Marissa's father. Her advocate simply stood there unprepared and unable to defend Amanda.  Finally the court adjourned and returned in five minutes.  In that five minutes the SNI Peacemakers Court made the decision, on no grounds, to grant Marissa's father full custody of her.  Amanda was only to have supervised visitation.  Just like that, they took Marissa's fathers testimony of Amanda's ability to mother Marissa, and made a horrible, unjust, unfair, and wrong decision.


There are so many guidelines and laws that need to be followed when removing a child.  This is the life and the welfare of a young child and the person making this decision needs to be a qualified expert to decide.  How can someone who is not educated in this area be allowed to make such a decision.  Please understand these SNI Peacemakers Judges only need a minimum of a GED to become a judge.  They don't KNOW family law. They are not familiar with child welfare laws or child welfare in general. The SNI judges don't have the credentials or the qualifications to know what the best interest of a child is.  These judges, in fact, are just seniors that I believe are elected to these positions.  And of course, a competent decision takes a whole lot longer then 5 minutes to make.  That decision can 't be based solely on one hearing (that lasted only an hour)  with no evidence and without the considerations of qualified professionals.  There was not a single qualified professional in that courtroom that day. 

You can only imagine the aftermath of this hearing.  Here comes Marissa's dad out of the courtroom with a deceiving smirk and boasting victory and here comes Amanda falling down crying, to the point she is throwing up. She just lost her baby.  Mr. Advocate comes running out promising this, and promising that, stating "I'll get you a stay on the order, we will appeal,  and promised that she would have her daughter back tomorrow!"  Don't Worry!  Trust me Trust Me!! Hello!! Amanda just trusted him to fight on her behalf and defend her and now here she is with out her baby!!

But she took his word on it, not feeling any better about it, and trusted he was telling her the truth.  SO tomorrow turned into yesterday, and yesterday turned into a month ago.  It has been weeks and we still don't have Marissa back and we are not any closer to getting her back.  Her lay advocate we hired has dropped off the face of the earth and will not even return any of her phone calls.  Now that we are seeing his true colors and considering he won't return phone calls we are wondering if it had to do with the fact that her lay advocate Carlton , Marissa's father and his fiancé all work at the Casino in Salamanca . 

Amanda, her Mom and her Aunt went back to Salamanca the very next day for their right to appeal. She does have the right to due process, right? Isn't that her Civil Right? Isn't that the Federal Civil Right among all American Citizens?

They sat there all day, no stay, no appeal, no Marissa. They went back there the next day and it was the same thing. Only this time they were told that they would have it, but one of the Judges family members was taken to the hospital, OR was it she was out shopping for school supplies with her grandchildren. All depended on who you talk to. Different person, different story and once again, no appeal was signed, no stay and most importantly, No Marissa.

There is this huge emptiness and a massive lump growing in the pit of Amanda's stomach. She wants to hold her baby, her little Marissa. She wants to talk to her and see that precious little smile. Her arms ache, her heart hurts and she feels like she can't stand it. She wants her baby back! She wants her NOW. Amanda can't seem to figure it out, she has done everything right. She made sure that Marissa's father became an active part in her life. Amanda felt it was important to have her daddy in her life, it was the right thing to do. She never had to even tell him about Marissa, but that was never a question, having Marissa's father in her life was the best thing for Marissa.  Amanda is always looking out for the best interest of her girls and now she is fighting for the right to even hold her baby, to tuck her in at night and tell her how much she loves her. Amanda is the one that has been there to kiss the boo-boo's and chase away bad dreams, she is the one that has spent sleepless nights when Marissa was a baby. Amanda has always been there for Marissa and now someone wants to rip that away from her? What must be going on inside our little Marissa's head? The poor baby has to be so confused to be ripped from everything and everybody she loves. Her sister Tori, her Grandma, her Nana, her Aunts and Uncle's and most importantly her mother all taken away from her by some selfish Judges with no proper LEGAL Education, whom have decided with no proof, with no clear evidence that Marissa would be better off in the care of her father and his girlfriend . They know his girlfriend’s history, they know everything about her and the awful things she has done in the past. They know about her dad's history too, they know that he has had “problems” in the past. But yet they still decided that Marissa was better off under the care of them? 

For weeks Amanda and her family has returned home with out Marissa and has tried to explain the best she can to Tori, her oldest daughter what was going on.

Does this nightmare end? Absolutely not !

You can imagine the panic that set in with Amanda’s family.
What do they do first?   Where do they turn for help? What could they do? 

Amanda's family got together and hired a Lawyer to get Amanda her baby back.  He went to Salamanca himself and filed an Emergency Injunction Hearing.  Amanda's Lawyer stared in disbelief and was in utter shock at the way the SNI Peacemakers Court handled this custody hearing and how unfair and wrongly Amanda was treated.  He was even more shocked that the SNI Peacemakers Court blatantly overlooked all of the rules, tribal guidelines, doctrines, civil rights that were violated and the federal codes that were not followed. He called the judges on the horrible injustice they have done.  They were called on their mistakes, their unethical behaviors, they were called on federal codes they did not follow, tribal guidelines that were not followed, and the fact they are long overdue for a judicial reform.  If the SNI peacemakers were not aware already, the know now that we are not going away and we will fight for our baby! 

This is the United States of America ; we send our men and women off to war to fight for our rights. They fight to protect our flag, our Civil Rights; they fight to keep us safe.  Yet, right here in our own country, we have another fight for our rights.  When we talked to the Tribal Justice Department in Washington DC  about our situation, they told us that the Seneca Nation of Indians did not sign the United States Constitution so they don't really have to follow it. They don't have to honor the same rules and regulations as the rest of us here in the United States . Does that mean there is no due process? Is there no Civil Rights?  Do they not enjoy all the things our wonderful country has to offer? I don't get it, what do they mean they don't have to follow the same rules and regulations as we do? They get to make them up as they go along in order to fit their situations? Apparently so.

So, that is where we are now, we feel our little Marissa is being held hostage by the Seneca Nation Indians. Yes HOSTAGE, there is no other words for it.  She is being held against her will and her families. The Peacemakers Court has taken this child away from the only home and the only family that she has ever known and placed her on their reservation where her family is unable to get to her. They had no grounds to base their decision on.  Amanda wakes up everyday and prays for a miracle.  She calls Marissa everyday more than once sometimes she gets to talk to her sometime not.  We don't know what is going to happen.  We do know that Marissa's father is hiding behind the SNI judicial system and relying on their injustice to keep this child away from her mother.  We know that everyone who knows Amanda knows she is a wonderful mother and that her babies are her life. 


We are asking all of you who visit this website to pass it on to your friends and family.  Our goal is for people to know what is going on here in our country, our home town of Saint Marys PA.   We want you to know how we never, in a million years, would have dreamed that something like this could happen to us, just like you may never dream that it could happen to you.  But it did happen, and it can happen, it is a nightmare that we live every single day, one day at a time. 

But that nightmare isnt even close to over.  Its been over a year and half traveling back and forth to those seneca courtrooms, only to be treated badly and made a fool of.  There has been times the judges tried to lock amanda and her family out of the court room and not even let her into the hearing.  WHy?  so then they could penalize her for not coming to the hearing.

It has been one thing after another.  The family has rallied outside the nation borders and at least got some attention and some support!   But as long As this case falls in the hands of selfish uneducated judges biased judges then Amanda is never going to get anywhere!

Keep Praying for Marissa! 

If you have any thoughts, advice, or want to offer support please contact Marissa's family:
Give Marissa Back