Here's a B I G Thank You for all these research tips. It is greatly appreciated.

I've read that at the time Ernesto was adopted out there was a campaign on by certain groups throughout the country encouraging the phenomena of "adopting out". It was an attempt to provide what was thought to be a better future for the children because it would encourage assimilation into white middle class or else others of European descent. The idea was to diminish the number of children left to grow up in native American culture. Ernesto's adoption does not dovetail with that so perhaps there were other factors at work.

I will pass this valuable information on to my cousin and thank you so very much.