NICWA News
The National Indian Child Welfare Association’s Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2014
Service and Advocacy for Indian Children
Message From Executive Director Terry Cross Dear Members and Supporters: The spring and summer have flown by! I am pleased to share this latest issue of NICWA News with you, as it gives us an opportunity to share some very significant advances in our work on the international stage and in the juvenile justice arena, recap our amazing national conference, and celebrate some of the organization’s other accomplishments. It was my honor to represent our constituents’ concerns during my recent trip to Geneva, Switzerland, to present our report findings on the rights of Indigenous children. Our advocacy proved effective, with strong relationships forged and initial commitments made. Our executive transition is progressing as planned. Sarah Kastelic now oversees most operations responsibilities and we’ve made significant inroads in transitioning relationships with partners and funders such as our longtime supporter, the Meyer Memorial Trust. Thank you again to our members, donors, and supporters. NICWA endeavors to demonstrate just how your support is being used to build on tribal capacity to prevent child abuse and neglect and support positive systems change.
Terry L. Cross Executive Director
NICWA News
Published by the National Indian Child Welfare Association 5100 SW Macadam Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, Oregon, 97239 P: (503) 222-4044 F: (503) 222-4007 www.nicwa.org
What’s Inside the Summer 2014 Issue:
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Letter from the Executive Director Kastelic Q & A Conference Wrap Up Disproportionately Conference Muscogee Support Meyer Memorial Trust Where We’ve Been Inside NICWA NM Juvenile Justice Update New and Renewing Members List Membership Update NICWA’s UN Advocacy NICWA Cares Upcoming Events New Webinar Series Heart of the Matter: DIFRC ICWA Myths & Realities
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“The Marathon, Not the Sprint”: Incoming NICWA Executive Director Kastelic Reflects on Leadership
Recently, NICWA Deputy Director Sarah Kastelic was asked to reflect on leadership by Independent Sector, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is “to advance the common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the nonprofit and philanthropic community.”
What do you think needs to be addressed at a sector level to really move the needle on big issues? Changes and shifts in the economy currently threaten the way nonprofits have been funded historically. As a result, nonprofit organizations often face pressure to undercut the true cost of our work while forgoing resources needed for capacity and innovation. We are selling ourselves short by doing this. Nonprofit organizations need to engage funders around the true cost of doing business and evolve new business models. The important work we do is worth the investment. Collaborating can be a challenge with partners given competing priorities. How do you remain inclusive in your work? NICWA recognizes that the time and energy to develop true partnerships is a worthwhile investment. Not all partnerships are equal. How we make decisions about who to partner with is a consistent challenge, but NICWA’s leadership team makes tough decisions about partnerships based on mission alignment and values. NICWA is fortunate in that we’ve explicitly identified our collaboration principles that are shared with potential partners in determining if a potential partnership is a good match. How are you advancing solutions to tough problems facing our society? NICWA recognizes that the solutions to the problems tribal communities face don’t come from the outside. Indian Country learned hundreds of years ago that solutions imported from outside our communities do not meet our needs. Therefore, NICWA supports communities in discovering their own solutions. All of our work is aimed at helping tribes uncover strengths and assets. We encourage the communities we work with to look to our culture and traditions for the solutions to address challenges. How do you view your leadership? Becoming a leader changes you. In Native communities, certain leadership responsibilities are bestowed with an apology. The preemptive apology is recognition of the burden of the responsibility and what leadership responsibilities will require. Leadership requires you to know yourself well. This includes being honest about your limitations, as well as being willing to grow. Like many, my family was affected by the systems I am actively working to change. That keeps me leading from the center. What is one key lesson you have learned in your work about leadership? Leadership and management are not the same thing. In other words, you can be an excellent manager without being a good leader. Leadership is relational. It involves people. My dad taught me that leaders inspire people to do things they didn’t even know they were capable of. You’re not a leader unless people choose to follow you. What is one action step you would recommend to other leaders to develop their full leadership potential? There are so many. I would say, know yourself. To fully develop your leadership potential, look deep inside; don’t avoid the unpleasant things. Practice taking strategic risks and get comfortable with doing things you don’t do well. Learn that it’s okay to fail. Pledge to give your very best each day, knowing that your best each day looks different. To make needlemoving change, train for the marathon, not the sprint. 3
2014 Protecting Our Children Conference Recap
NICWA thanks all of this year’s generous sponsors and participants!
2015 Call for Presentations Open NICWA is now accepting proposals for workshops and presentations for our 2015 national conference in Portland, Oregon. Deadline is November 7, 2014.
Visit www.nicwa.org/callforpresentations/ 4
Protecting Our Children Conference a Success The National Indian Child Welfare Association thanks all our members, participants, presenters, and board members who made this year’s conference such an immense success. With their support, our 32nd Annual Protecting Our Children National American Indian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect brought a distinct mix of unique and cutting-edge programming, attracted the participation of key public policymakers, and provided our constituents with the opportunity to catch up with emerging best practices in the field. Eight hundred and fifty people from across the United States and Canada convened in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 13–16, 2014, to collaborate and share strategies on how to promote tribal sovereignty and the health and well-being of Indian children, families, and communities. Our membership reception featured Cecelia Firethunder, whose keynote remarks emphasized the importance of grassroots movements and the need for change to come from the bottom up. NICWA Executive Director Terry Cross was awarded both a lifetime achievement award and the Champion for Native Children Award. This year’s conference offered participants exciting new content and presentations, reflecting NICWA’s continued commitment to offer constituents compelling programming and serving as the premier source of emerging best practices in tribal child welfare. To achieve this, multiple partners provided concurrent programming. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation unveiled a special conference track focused on international Indigenous issues. It included a workshop discussing the national Native Children’s Agenda, a workshop on First Nations children, and more topics focused on racial healing. NICWA convened a plenary session of top federal officials to discuss how their agencies are improving the health and well-being of Native children. Speakers included Associate Attorney General of the United States Tony West, Assistant Secretary–Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior Kevin Washburn, and Associate Commissioner of the Children’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services JooYeun Chang. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Government Accountability Office hosted listening sessions. At the close of the conference, the Department of Justice Task Force on American Indian and Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence hosted a public hearing. Testimony was given by NICWA Executive Director Terry Cross, who spoke about the trauma Native children experience because of the lack of Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) compliance. Other critical topics covered included: discussions on human trafficking, youth sharing their experiences in out-of-home care, and innovative approaches to tribal child welfare. The conference offered many other new additions, like an adult adoptee gathering; legal professionals’ coffee hour; post-conference Positive Indian Parenting training; and an exciting culture night hosted by local area youth. Again, NICWA staff, board, and members thank you for your generous commitment to Native children, and we hope to see you next April 19–22, 2015, in Portland, Oregon!
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Reducing Disproportionality Addressed at Conference The Bringing Our Children Home Safely Conference, held in Portland, Oregon, on August 12, 2014, was a one-day event convened by NICWA in partnership with DHS District 2, the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), and the Multnomah County Juvenile Court. The event brought together over 25 participants representing seven different agencies and tribes to address the disproportionate rate of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children in the Multnomah County child welfare system. Over the past year, NICWA has been focused on efforts across Multnomah County to reduce the rate of disproportionality for AI/AN children in the child welfare system. NICWA has collaborated with a diverse set of stakeholders, advocates, service providers, and government officials who were already working on the issue. Based on the existing efforts, NICWA identified three objectives: first, describe the scope and character of the current responses to the problem of disproportionality; second, convene dialogue among key leaders to lay out next steps toward achieving a more collaborative approach; and third, attempt to agree on a data dashboard, or key measures of progress that can be consistently produced at regular intervals for oversight review. The agenda was intended to facilitate dialogue designed to review the state of disproportionality reduction efforts in Multnomah County, to explore strategies for collaborative action, and to discuss what data might be used as key indicators of progress whatever the outcome of the dialogue. In Multnomah County, AI/AN children make up 1.1% of the general child population, yet they represent 7.6% of children served by Multnomah County child welfare services. Rene L. Duboise, district manager of the Multnomah County Department of Human Services, acknowledged that there is a lot of work to be done in the county and asked each participant to consider, “What can I do to change the course of this ship?” The engaged group of participants had a rich discussion with many themes that continued throughout the day. They discussed the need for culturally competent workers educated on ICWA and the need for culturally appropriate services. Matt Morton, executive director of NAYA, stated, “We’ve seen mainstream strategies making little to no positive impact on our communities over and over again. There is an opportunity to make a difference in how Native families are served; [to do this] we need to look within the community.” A highlight of the event was a youth panel where Alecia McConnell, age 17, and Elizabeth McConnell, age 20, spoke about their experiences in the foster care system. Alecia and Elizabeth are sisters from the Umatilla Reservation. They shared insight about how policy and systems change can positively impact the lives of Native youth in Oregon’s foster care system. Because Native youth are the experts in their own lives, Alecia and Elizabeth’s perspectives were immensely valuable to the audience, who were grateful for the opportunity to hear from those most directly impacted by the issues around which they convened. NICWA will continue to further the agenda begun at the conference thanks to support from Spirit Mountain Community Fund and the Collins Foundation. 6
NICWA Receives $20,000 Sponsorship from Muscogee (Creek) Nation NICWA received a $20,000 sponsorship for this year’s 32nd Annual Protecting Our Children National American Indian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Without the continued support of groups like the Muscogee Nation, NICWA’s annual conference would not be the premier gathering of child welfare workers, tribal leaders, and ICWA advocates. NICWA Executive Director Terry Cross remarked, “We are thrilled that the Muscogee Nation has made such a generous contribution to support our annual conference. By partnering with NICWA, the Muscogee Nation shows their dedication to help realize NICWA’s mission that every Indian child should have access to communitybased, culturally appropriate services that help them grow up safe, healthy, and spiritually strong.”
Meyer Memorial Trust Continues Support of NICWA With Reception On July 25, 2014, members of the NICWA board, NICWA staff, and leaders in the local philanthropic community gathered at the downtown Portland office of Meyer Memorial Trust, a longtime NICWA funder. Representatives from the Collins Foundation, the Oregon Community Foundation, and the Miller Foundation joined Meyer Memorial Trust staff and trustees to welcome NICWA staff and board members, demonstrate their support for our organization, and learn more about NICWA’s executive transition. Meyer Memorial Trust CEO Doug Stamm opened the event by sharing the value the trust places on the work NICWA does to strengthen American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children and families, and invited others to speak about their experiences with NICWA’s executive transition process and their vision for NICWA’s future. Meyer Memorial Trust has supported NICWA since our earliest days as a program within the Parry Center, through our inception as the Northwest Indian Child Welfare Institute (NWICWI), and through our growth into the preeminent national association focused on tribal capacity to prevent child abuse and neglect. Through these different eras of NICWA’s organizational history, the positive relationship between Meyer Memorial Trust and NICWA’s founding Executive Director, Terry Cross, has been the defining factor in building and maintaining the trust’s support of NICWA’s community-based, culturally relevant programming. The importance of this relationship is representative of Meyer Memorial Trust’s overreaching strategy for philanthropy: to invest in capable people with a vision for change, rather than solely investing in established institutions. This investment orientation on the part of Meyer Memorial Trust has been evident throughout their history of funding NICWA’s projects and growth. In 1988, Meyer Memorial Trust considered a second NWICWI proposal for $198,000 to help Native tribes and communities in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho develop effective child welfare programs. At this point in the trust’s history, it relied heavily on outside evaluators to assess incoming proposals and inform funding decisions. The outside evaluator recommended not funding the proposal, pointing out that “the goals of the project are so broad, the activities of the project are so numerous, the other funding planned for the project is so vague, and the management and administrative experience of the personnel so unclear, that…funding is not recommended.” But Meyer Memorial Trust had met Cross—had worked with Cross—and were confident in his ability as a capable, visionary leader with strong community support to meet the project’s goals. Meyer Memorial Trust’s decision to fund the proposal demonstrated its commitment to investing with people with a vision, and gave NICWA a crucial opportunity to grow our capacity to serve AI/AN children and families. continued on page 9
Where We’ve Been Every year, NICWA program staff provide on-site training and technical assistance to dozens of communities in the U.S. and Canada. Here is where we’ve been so far in 2014. 7
Gil Vigil
Inside NICWA Wesaw Among 2014 UNITY 25 Under 25 Honorees
Melissa spent 14 years as a management and HR professional. She worked as a policy and Indigenous affairs intern at Ecotrust, as a law clerk serving Northwest tribes at Williams Johnson, LLP, and as a certified law clerk at the Native American Program, Legal Aid Services of Oregon, providing legal services to low-income Native individuals and to Oregon tribes. As HR supervisor, Parsons strategically manages all HR functions for the organization.
NICWA Board Member W. Alex Wesaw (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi) was named one of United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc.’s (UNITY) “25 Under 25” Native youth leaders in June. The awards program is designed to celebrate the achievements of Native American and Alaska Native youth ages 14–24 who embody UNITY’s core mission and exude living a balanced life developing their spiritual, mental, physical, and social well-being.
Miller Elected to APS
On April 26, 2014, former NICWA board member Robert James Miller (Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma) was elected as one of 33 new resident members of the American Philosophical Society (APS). Miller currently serves as professor at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and is chief justice of the Grand Ronde Tribal Court of Appeals. His most recent book, Reservation “Capitalism:” Economic Development in Indian Country, was published in 2012 and discusses how creating sustainable economic development on reservations can both improve living standards and preserve the culture and sovereignty of Native peoples.
In addition to serving on NICWA’s board, Wesaw serves as treasurer on the Senior Youth Council and as secretary of the Apprenticeship Steering Committee of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. On the national level, Alex currently serves as the co-president of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Youth Commission and is an inaugural member of the National Native Youth Cabinet within the Policy Research Center of NCAI. Wesaw joined other honorees in being recognized at a ceremony during the UNITY National Conference in July in Portland, Oregon.
NICWA Executive Director Terry Cross stated, “Congratulations to Mr. Miller for continuing to advocate for tribal sovereignty and the well-being of Native children and families. On behalf of NICWA, I wish him much success in his new role with the society.”
NICWA Welcomes Parsons
In May, Melissa Parsons joined NICWA as human resources (HR) supervisor. Parsons is a descendant of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation in Montana. She grew up in Portland, Oregon, graduating with honors from Portland State University (PSU) in 2006 and from Lewis and Clark Law School in 2014, where she was inducted into the Cornelius Honor Society. She currently serves as tribal liaison for PSU’s Native American Student and Community Center and on Lewis and Clark’s Indian Law Program Committee.
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NICWA convenes Navajo Nation and NM Officials Regarding Tribal Notification Law for Juvenile Justice
In July, NICWA convened a host of key stakeholders in New Mexico to discuss the state’s tribal notification law for juvenile justice. In attendance were Navajo Nation Chief Prosecutor Bernadine Martin, Public Defender Kathleen Bowman, and Legal Analyst Thomas Cody; Department of Corrections Director Delores Greyeyes; and several representatives from Navajo Nation Division of Social Services with State of New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD) personnel, state district court representatives, and county and state
mental health service providers.
The tribal notification law is the only law of its kind in the U.S. It requires that State of New Mexico CYFD personnel notify a tribe when a tribal youth enters the state juvenile justice system. The provision has been in the New Mexico Children’s Code for nearly 20 years, but until now, has not been explored in terms of its potential to improve outcomes for Native youth. The discussion focused on how the tribal notification process can be improved. Participants from Navajo Nation considered challenges to addressing the number of Navajo youth entering the system and in need of services, including mental health services. They also identified existing resources—including the use of teen courts, peacemakers, and family conferencing structures—that could increase service capacity for youth and provide potential alternatives to detention. According to data from the State of New Mexico CYFD, roughly 90% of Native youth in the state juvenile justice system are from Navajo Nation. The meeting has prompted an internal discussion among Navajo Nation Department of Justice (NNDOJ) officials regarding how to strengthen tribal notification policies and procedures and collaboration with the state to improve outcomes for Navajo youth entering the state juvenile justice system. NNDOJ officials will discuss their implementation of new policies and procedures with CYFD leadership. Project representatives are currently seeking the approval of the Eastern and Northern Navajo Agency Councils to facilitate qualitative interviews with Navajo Nation Department of Justice, Probation, Social Services, and other Navajo Nation personnel who are involved in the juvenile justice system, as well as Navajo youth who were formerly in the State of New Mexico juvenile justice system. NICWA is also preparing an application to the Navajo Nation Human Research Review Board.
Meyer (continued from page 7)
The July reception hosted by Meyer Memorial Trust is a rare example of a funder’s long-term investment in an organization extending beyond financial support. Meyer Memorial Trust made a generous effort to provide NICWA leadership with an opportunity to share the story of our organization’s executive transition with key local funders. Introducing Kastelic to the local philanthropic community to help inspire sustained confidence in our organization at this crucial moment in NICWA’s history was a vital demonstration of support for the future leadership of our organization, and underscores our belief that a changing institution is not a vulnerable institution. NICWA thanks Meyer Memorial Trust for the chance to tell the story of our organization and our executive transition, and look forward to continued collaboration in the future. 9
New and Renewing NICWA Members April 1–August 22, 2014
Coral Membership Tier Individual Heather Capistrant Terry Cross Leola McKenzie
Tribe Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Muscogee (Creek) Nation Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians Pueblo of Sandia Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation Telida Village Council Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian Tribe Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians
Organization AMERIND Risk Management Corporation
Turquoise Membership Tier Tribe Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes Cook Inlet Tribal Council Cowlitz Indian Tribe Kialegee Tribal Town Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma Quinault Indian Nation Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians Smith River Rancheria
American Indian Health & Family Services
Individual Beverly Anderson Teresa Contreras Paul W. Day Thomas Disselhorst Debra Foxcroft Danielle Glenn-Rivera Monica Hawley Sarah Kastelic Sonya LaCoute-Dana Tara Lambert Laura Lein Wesley Martin Organization Hope and Home
William A. Metcalfe Chrissi Nimmo Jeanette Ninham Melissa Phipps Dale Powless Ahniwake Rose Monica Roth Day Carol L. Silva Beverly Skenandore Geoffrey Strommer Lois Strong
Nevada Division of Child and Family Services
Corporate Associate Membership Tier Carlton County Public Health & Human Services T
Associate Membership Tier Vertis C. Belcher
Linda Fiechtl
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Nanette Silveroli
New and Renewing NICWA Members April 1–August 22, 2014
Abalone Membership Tier Lorena Aceves Dionne Adams Jody Alholinna Herminia Anico Jacqueline Archambault Laura L. Bentle Vanessa Big Plume Robyn Black Feather Kelly Bradfield Kelly Bradley Cheryl Bradshaw Misty J. Brammer Dana Brandon Jason Brandt Amanda Brink Kathleen Brink Debra Burton Christine Cagey Evangeline Campbell Patricia Carter-Goodheart Merita Chartrand Aaron Choneska Stacey Cleveland Angela Connor Rosento Cordova Tyson Courchane Raymond D. Cournoyer Andre Cramblit Marena Cross Melissa Cutknife Alvin Dukepoo Kyle Eagletail Julie Ellefson Frank Ettawageshik Jeanne Evans Georgia Finau Samantha First Charger Lisa Follett Pollak Violet Garcia Diane Garreau
Rosalie George Annette Gonzalez Ragu-Jara Gregg Lisa Greif Wendy Harris Cindy Hoaglen Leilani Hoglund Brenda Houle Jenece Howe Carrie Imus Ella James Vincent Jimmie Robin Johnson Michael Kamen Yanna Kariofillis Margaret Kendrick Julia Kleinschmit Leah LaMere Erin Lee Frank Lightbourn Karen Lincoln Michel Selena Linski Anthony Little Griselda Loera-Barragan Linda Logan Evelyn Long Shawna Lopac Sylvia Lopez Edith Loyer Nelson Justin Martin Davina Martinez Virginia Matte Paul Matte Elaine Maurice Sabrina McCarthy Mary McCarthy Deanna McKosato May Doreen N. McPaul Neva Meyers Charla Miller 11
Daniel Mittan Amalia Monreal Stephanie Moses Shana Murphy Marie Old Rock Jesse Pacheco Lynn Paul Michelle Pederson Yvonne Peterson Linda Peterson Gary Peterson Bobbi Ranger Lovina Redner Kathy Reincke Sherry Robbins Jennifer Robinson-Ross Roger Ruano Lisa Salo Tina J. Schubert Shondiin Silversmith Darla Spence Lonnie Spencer Angie Stagg Lorenza Suke Kristie Swanson Daniel Tafoya Jonell Tapija Nichole Thomas Susan Thompson Joey Tom Molly Tovar Christina Trottier M Trzeciak-Kerr Joseph Turrey Loretta Urenda Arissia Ward Alex Wesaw Joann Whatoname Jerry Williams Jennifer Yellow Hammer
Membership Update NICWA Encourages Balance and Support of ICW Workers
NICWA Board of Directors
Individuals who dedicate their professional lives—and often, their personal lives—to the field of Indian child welfare (ICW) are highly motivated, and work very hard to forge the relationships and skills necessary to ensure the best outcomes for our communities. As helping professionals and allies in the fields of social work, law, education, behavioral and mental health and wellness, research, and more, this work can be immensely rewarding as we see our clients, communities, and partners reach their potential. Yet, it can also take a toll on the helper as this is truly very hard work.
Officers
People in the field regularly work long hours with limited resources, high workloads, seemingly endless red tape, and other bureaucratic and policy limitations. It can make work in ICW very challenging. Without a personal and organizational commitment to self-care, this challenging work can lead to stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and decreased productivity and satisfaction at work and at home. Recognizing the need for balance to effectively meet the needs of communities, families, and our staff, NICWA is intentional in creating a work environment that supports our staff and encourages its members to develop similarly supportive environments in their workplaces.
Members
Amongst NICWA’s guiding principles and values is that the organization strives to help the helper through staff motivation and nurturing. At the last staff retreat, Executive Director Terry Cross spoke about creating an organizational environment that is a “place for people to come in out of the wind”. At that retreat, staff used the Relational World View Model to do an organizational assessment to see how they could enhance the balance within the workplace so that, as helpers, staff can thrive. In turn, NICWA’s communities and partners can thrive too. Staff identified ways to do this through strong supervision, ongoing time management training, ongoing project management training, workload planning, and staff self-care assessments.
Gil Vigil (Tesuque Pueblo) President Rochelle Ettawageshik (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians) Secretary Gary Peterson (Skokomish) Treasurer Patricia Carter-Goodheart (Nez Perce) Angela Connor (Choctaw) Paul Day (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) Jennifer Elliott (Sac and Fox) Donne Fleagle (Athabascan) Jocelyn Formsma (Swampy Cree) Debra Foxcroft (Tseshaht) Linda Logan (Oklahoma Choctaw) Aurene Martin (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) Robbie McGhee (Poarch Band of Creek Indians) Jaymee Moore (Colorado River Indian Tribes) Mary Tenorio (Santo Domingo Pueblo) Derek C. Valdo (Pueblo of Acoma) Alex Wesaw (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi) Jeffrey C. Whelan (Saint Regis Mohawk)
Board of Regents
Brad Earl (Nez Perce descendent) David Powless (Oneida) Sherry Salway Black (Oglala Lakota) Don Sampson (Walla Walla) John Shagonaby (Potawatomi) Mike Tiger (Seminole Tribe of Florida)
In honoring the various domains of staff’s lives: the physical, psychological, spiritual, and relational, NICWA endeavors to help staff maintain balance. The organization also enables the communities served to thrive by virtue of its commitment to quality and consistent evaluation of our work.
Council of Elders
We want to hear from our members how these values are incorporated in your workplace to create a supportive work environment and how self-care is supported. Please contact Member Relations Manager Ava Hansen at ava@nicwa.org.
Strategic Leadership Council
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Anita Chisholm (Absentee Shawnee) William Clark (Cherokee) Don Milligan (Métis: Cree/Assiniboine, Yakama, Kootenai) Lola Sohappy (Warm Springs) Jefferson Keel (Chickasaw) Ernie Stevens, Jr. (Oneida)
NICWA Takes Fight for Children’s Rights to International Stage On August 11–15, 2014, NICWA Executive Director Terry Cross and Board Member Jocelyn Formsma travelled to Geneva, Switzerland to attend an international convening addressing the United States’ compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination treaty. Cross and Formsma spent the week educating the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on the discriminatory treatment of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children and families in U.S. child welfare systems. Cross and Formsma’s efforts were guided by NICWA’s report to CERD submitted in July. The report voiced concerns over the violation of Indigenous children’s right to culture that often occurs in the problematic implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). After presenting statistics and stories detailing the unnecessary removal and wrongful placement of AI/AN children, NICWA provided three recommendations to CERD for inclusion in its final report: 1. …the United States, in consultation with tribes, establish a robust federal review system to ensure that ICWA is fully implemented and enforced. 2. …the United States provide tribes with sufficient funding to provide family and child care services and provide individual states’ protection and child welfare systems with sufficient funding to ensure ICWA compliance. 3. …the United States conduct an investigation into the biased treatment of Indigenous families in individual states’ child protection and child welfare systems. Throughout the week, Cross appealed to the committee and members of the U.S. delegation to achieve traction on the issues. Cross’s advocacy clearly resonated with the committee, as evidenced by CERD members seizing the opportunity to ask several rarely issued follow-up questions to the United States delegation on Indian child welfare issues raised by Cross. In response, U.S. representatives from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) acknowledged the lack of ICWA compliance and pledged to renew efforts to monitor and strengthen guidelines via regulations. “We are pleased with the BIA response to the CERD question on Indian child welfare indicating their intent to work with NGOs to develop regulations,” said Cross. “When our children can be protected under the authority of an international treaty, as is their right, this is indeed important progress.” Once the in-person dialogue is complete, the committee will issue a report outlining its concerns as well as making specific recommendations to the United States on how to meet its legal obligations under the treaty. It is NICWA’s hope that any of the three recommendations will be included in this document. NICWA has engaged in international advocacy efforts before, including meetings with the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and attendance at key international Indigenous gatherings. But to gain the attention of CERD brings NICWA’s international advocacy to another level. Government affairs staff have already begun drafting a submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review by the Human Rights Council in conjunction with the Indigenous Peoples Rights Clinic at Suffolk University School of Law. To view the NICWA report or statement to CERD, visit http://www. nicwa.org/government/. 13
NICWA Cares NICWA Sponsors Fun Run and Delta Park Powwow Once again, NICWA renewed its annual support of Portland’s Delta Park Pow Wow and Natural High Fun Run. On June 14–15, 2014, NICWA staff got the chance to support local dancers and share the work we are doing in tribal communities with our constituents. The powwow, one of the largest in the region, is organized by the Bow and Arrow Culture Club and has been taking place for 44 years. One of the highlights of the Delta Park Powwow is the tiny tots program, which NICWA sponsored, where toddlers are rewarded for all their hard work dancing the day away with a gift bag full of toys, candy, and a dollar bill. Another entertaining event is the fun run. This year, NICWA staffers Terry Cross, Melissa Parsons, and Val Gaede joined other runners in support of families and promoting sobriety within the Native community. “It is great to see our staff get the opportunity to have fun and connect with people in the community,” said NICWA Deputy Director Sarah Kastelic. “Our organization has long recognized that preserving Native culture contributes to the health and well-being of children and families, so it is really gratifying to see so many people carrying on their traditions.”
NICWA Events Calendar NICWA Training Institutes September 8–10, 2014 Portland, Oregon • Positive Indian Parenting • ICWA Basics • Advanced ICWA
NICWA Training Institutes December 1–3, 2014 San Diego, California • Positive Indian Parenting • ICWA Basics • Advanced ICWA
Enhancing Basic Skills for Tribal Child Welfare Workers October 1–29, 2014 Online Webinar Series
33rd Annual Protecting Our Children Conference April 19–22, 2015 Portland, Oregon
NICWA Training Institutes April 23–24, 2015 Portland, Oregon • Positive Indian Parenting • ICWA Basics To register today, visit www.nicwa.org
New Webinar Series Provides Convenient Learning Opportunity Over 35 people registered for this summer’s new webinar series “Enhancing Basic Skills for Tribal Child Welfare Workers.” Taught by NICWA Executive Director Terry Cross, the online course explored a variety of topics related to the daily responsibilities and challenges that tribal child welfare workers face. Responding to constituents’ concerns that tribal child welfare workers often lack the time and resources to travel to professional opportunities, NICWA designed the five-part webinar series so that it would be accessible online and modestly priced. One participant appreciated the chance to brush up on skills, remarking, “This was a great refresher for those of us who have been out of school for a while!” Those who missed the summer series have a second opportunity to take the entire series. Cross will again teach the five-part course in October. More information about this and future training opportunities can be found at www.nicwa.org/training/institutes. 14
Heart of the Matter: DIFRC The Denver Indian Family Resource Center (DIFRC) has served Native families in the greater Denver area since early 2000. Focusing on the family as a unit, and operating from Native values, DIFRC provides case management, supervised visits, and trainings for parents and children in vulnerable families. DIFRC also works to change existing systems as needed. “When DIFRC was formed, we made a conscious decision to ap-
proach other agencies in non-adversarial ways. We see ourselves as learners,” said DIFRC Executive Director Lucille Echohawk. DIFRC is very proud of its ICWA advocacy work as well as its family reunification and family preservation work. Last year, DIFRC representatives participated in conversations with Colorado’s governor and subsequently the state signed on to an amicus brief for the U.S. Supreme Court case Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl. DIFRC also offers training locally and around the state, including ICWA training for parents, county caseworkers, county attorneys, guardians ad litem, and others. In 2012, DIFRC developed its trauma-informed child welfare practice model. DIFRC continues to refine the practice model and has begun to share it with others in various ways, including a presentation at the NICWA conference. The model was created by looking at what has worked in the past and what are current best practices.
Lucille Echohawk
As DIFRC analyzed the agency’s strengths, they confirmed that a great deal has been learned about Indian child welfare practice in an urban setting, and DIFRC is now in a good position to assist others
ICWA Myths & Realities
in the field. With financial support, DIFRC will be able to expand outreach of the model even further— building partnerships with other agencies so that trauma-informed, culturally responsive services can be provided with costs being kept as low as possible. DIFRC’s founding Executive Director Phyllis Bigpond served on the NICWA Board of Directors, and was the inaugural recipient of the NICWA Champion for Native Children Award, which was bestowed posthumously in 2012. Echohawk is also a founder of DIFRC and served as its board chair for several years. In 2012, she became executive director. She is now preparing to retire from that position and says she will be content to again serve as a volunteer. On NICWA membership, Echohawk commented, “We appreciate the communication channel NICWA supplies. It is a way we can be involved and knowledgeable on a national level, which assists us locally.” Lucille also mentioned that DIFRC values NICWA’s national conference as well as other training opportunities NICWA provides, especially the online ICWA classes, which are important and cost effective.
NICWA hopes to dispel some of the most commonly perpetuated myths about the Indian Child Welfare Act in this new feature. Myth: ICWA is a race-based law. Reality: False. ICWA, like other federal Indian legislation, is based on the unique political status of tribes and Indian people, not race. This status—established by Congress, the Constitution, statutes, and treaties—has been affirmed and reaffirmed by U.S. Supreme Court decisions for 200 years. 15
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