NICWA NEWS Quarterly Newsletter • Summer 2017
LATEST
The
President’s budget blueprint, new training workshops & much more inside!
INSIDE A look at our most successful annual conference yet!
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
The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) is a private nonprofit, membership-based organization dedicated to the well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native children and families. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, NICWA serves tribes, individuals, and private organizations throughout the United States and Canada by serving as the most comprehensive source of information on American Indian child welfare and acting as the only national Native organization focused on building tribal capacity to prevent child abuse and neglect.
Our Mission
The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) is dedicated to the well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native children and families.
Board of Directors
President Gil Vigil (Tesuque Pueblo) Vice President Rochelle Ettawageshik (Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians) Secretary W. Alex Wesaw (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi) Treasurer Gary Peterson, MSW (Skokomish) Members Teressa Baldwin (Inupiaq) Luke Madrigal (Cahuilla Band of Indians) Patricia Carter-Goodheart (Nez Perce) Angela Connor (Choctaw) Aurene Martin (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) Cassondra Church (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi) Robert McGhee (Poarch Band of Creek Indians) Theodore Nelson, Sr. (Seminole Tribe of Florida) Paul Day (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) Mary Tenorio, PhD, RN (Santo Domingo) Jocelyn Formsma (Swampy Cree) Derek Valdo (Acoma Pueblo) Debra Foxcroft (Tseshaht)
Board of Trustees
John Shagonaby (Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians) Brad Earl (Nez Perce descent) Sherry Salway Black (Oglala Lakota) Allard Teeple (Bay Mills Indian Community) Victor Rocha (Pechanga Band of LuiseĂąo Indians)
Founder and Senior Advisor Terry Cross (Seneca)
Executive Director
Sarah Kastelic (Alutiiq)
NICWA News is the quarterly newsletter for members and donors of the National Indian Child Welfare Association. Membership is available in multiple levels starting at $35. For reprint requests, additional copies, or other information, contact us at info@nicwa.org
NICWA staff participate in a cedar weaving class taught by Yvonne Peterson (Chehalis)
Message from the Executive Director
Dear NICWA Members, Sponsors, Donors, and Friends, I was taught that the Creator didn’t throw us into this work haphazardly. It’s no mistake that we do what we do, and he prepared us for this work. He carefully planned years of experiences and learning opportunities that (perhaps unknown to us, and sometimes through painful lessons) prepared us for the roles we play now and for what our communities are calling on us to do with them and for them. President Trump has just released his proposed federal budget. While I’m outraged by his approach to slashing programs on which our communities and many struggling families rely, I am choosing to recognize that this is just the beginning of the annual appropriations process, and I need to regulate my emotional energy and strength for a much longer debate, negotiation, and advocacy process. I am also intentionally choosing to see the challenges before us as an opportunity to look around, sharpen our focus, and identify the strategy and the resolve within us to reawaken the passion and personal experience that brought us to this work to serve our Native communities and people. Many of us believe that our ancestors’ teachings are within us and, as founding NICWA board member Gary Peterson says, that our ancestors are close to us. What we need is to reach out, to draw on them when we are discouraged, tired, or trying to learn a lesson so we don’t have to repeat it. We need to reawaken to this important reservoir of strength and preparation for the work we do. We are called on to be advocates—to advocate at the federal level and at the local level—for the needs and resources of our families, to verbalize what our children need, to repair relationships, and reconnect with one another in service to our communities. As tribal people, advocacy is in our DNA. For generations, our extended families and community leaders advocated for what was best for children, for the community. Our leaders were often the spokespersons for our community will. They took a public stand and raised their voices for our families. We can reawaken this purpose, focus our commitment, and stand firmly on the preparation Creator has given us to engage in addressing the challenges before us. Together we can take a public stand. We must raise our voices to advocate for Native families and children, for our relatives. With gratitude for your leadership and advocacy,
Sarah Kastelic
CONTENTS
National Indian Child Welfare Association | NICWA News
Message from the Executive Director 3. Presiden’t Budget Cuts Human Services 4. ICWA Defense in Arizona 4. FAQs About 2016 ICWA Guidelines 5. Annual Conference Success 6. Upcoming Trainings 7. Programs Update 8. Critical Services in Indian Country Funded by San Manuel 9. 2017 Member of the Year Award 10. SummerLinda 2017 |Logan 3 Remembering 10.
Policy
NICWA Submits Testimony for Native American Children’s Safety Act Field Hearing
Updates
Federal District Court in Arizona Dismisses Goldwater Institute ICWA Lawsuit On March 16, 2017, Federal District Court Judge Neil Wake ordered a federal lawsuit brought by the Goldwater Institute challenging the application of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) be dismissed. Defendants in the lawsuit—the United States Department of Justice (representing the federal government), State of Arizona, Navajo Nation, and Gila River Indian Community—previously filed petitions asking the court to dismiss the case. In the judge’s order, he stated that the plaintiffs were not able to demonstrate any particular or concrete injury to the Native children or foster or adoptive parents named in the lawsuit based on the application of ICWA. Judge Wake also found that the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring the lawsuit in federal court, stating that he felt the federal court was being asked to pre-adjudicate the claims for the state court, which he believed was the proper jurisdiction to hear the case. The Goldwater Institute has now filed an appeal of this decision with the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. NICWA, working with the other ICWA Defense Project partners (turtletalk.wordpress.com/icwa), will be monitoring the case and supporting efforts of the parties seeking to uphold proper implementation of ICWA.
Tribal Adoption Parity Act Reintroduced in 115th Congress (H.R. 2035 and S. 876) On April 6, 2017, members of the Senate and House of Representatives reintroduced legislation to correct a gap in tax credit policy for families that adopt through tribal courts. The legislation fixes a gap in federal law that makes adoptive parents adopting in tribal courts ineligible for a federal tax credit. The bipartisan-supported legislation was first introduced in 2014, and was reintroduced for consideration in 2015 and 2016 in both the House and Senate. NICWA has been very involved in working with the co-sponsors of the legislation and educating Indian Country about the benefits. The adoption tax credit was enacted several years ago to help alleviate the financial burden experienced by families adopting children, with a specific focus on supporting those families who adopt a child designated as special needs. Children with special needs are often those children who are hard to place and are not likely to be adopted unless the prospective adoptive family receives financial assistance. Under current law, the adoptive parents of a special needs child adopted through a tribal court cannot claim the special needs adoption credit and must document their qualified upfront expenses. Although tribes have the authority to arrange and sanction the adoptions of children who are members of the tribe, current tax law does not recognize the authority of tribal courts to determine which of these adopted children are “special needs” for the purposes of the adoption tax credit. Because this provision of the tax code does not recognize determinations made in tribal court, adoptive parents face additional financial burdens and barriers to adopting Native children designated as special needs. National Indian Child Welfare Association | NICWA News
On April 21, 2017, Chairman John Hoeven (R-ND) of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs conducted an oversight hearing on the implementation of the Native Children’s Safety Act (P.L. 114-165). The hearing took place on the Spirit Lake Reservation in North Dakota. Chairman Hoeven stated his desire to ensure that child abuse and neglect involving Native children was reduced and belief that the legislation he co-sponsored was successful in helping to achieve this goal. Witnesses included Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Michael Black, Regional Administrator for the Administration for Children and Families Region 8 Nikki Hatch, Spirit Lake Tribe Chairwoman Myra Pearson, and Cankdeska Cikanna Community College President, Cynthia Lindquist. Each of the witnesses spoke to issues related to increasing protections for Native children and the efforts their respective entities were making in that regard. NICWA’s testimony (nicwa.org) focused on: (1) the barriers tribes face in accessing criminal background check data from the national crime databases operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and (2) the need to fund child abuse and neglect grant programs, such as those contained under the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act (P. L. 101-630). Resolving these implementation barriers and quality training and technical assistance for tribes on the new law’s requirements are key to the law being successfully implemented.
President’s FY 2018 Budget Takes Aim at Human Service Programs for Native Families On May 23, 2017, President Trump released his fiscal year 2018 budget for federal agencies. This followed an earlier release in April of his budget blueprint, or “skinny budget” as it has been referred to. The budget released in May contains much more detail on both mandatory and discretionary program funding than the earlier blueprint. For tribal governments hoping for some additional support for funding to address critical needs for the children, families, and the elderly, there was great disappointment. Under the BIA Human Services budget category, all six of the human service programs were recommended for budget cuts, totaling almost 16% decrease from FY 2017 funding levels. The programs recommended for cuts included BIA Social Services, Welfare Assistance, Indian Child Welfare Act, Housing, Human Services Tribal Design (formerly known as the Tiwahe Initiative), and Human Services Program Oversight. The programs that were recommended for the biggest cuts were BIA Social Services (-22%), which supports several different programs and functions, including protective services for children, elders, and the disabled, and the BIA Housing Program, which was recommended to be eliminated completely. The BIA Indian Child Welfare Act program was recommended for a 4% reduction. While only Congress can pass a budget into law and it does not always follow the President’s budget recommendations, the President’s budget does set a tone for budget negotiations between the White House and Congress, and it signals the President’s budget and policy priorities. In May, NICWA submitted testimony (nicwa.org) to both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, making funding recommendations on programs that serve American Indian and Alaska Native children and families, often citing the great needs that many tribal communities and urban Indian communities have for human services, as well as the benefit to states when tribal governments have adequate resources to serve their citizens.
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NICWA’s new Working with Substance Abusing Families training (find out more on page 7)
&Notes News from N I C WA
What, There’s More? Some Frequently Asked Questions About the 2016 Federal ICWA Guidlines
Where We’ve Been Every year, NICWA provides onsite training and technical assistance to dozens of communities in the US and Canda. Here is where we have been since summer 2016.
Wait, I thought we just got new ICWA regulations. What do you mean “guidelines?” You’re right — we have never had as much guidance around ICWA as we do today. We’ve got 2016 regulations and 2016 guidelines. Here’s the difference: • The 2016 regulations went into effect on December 12, 2016. These are binding law. They interpret the 1978 law, and they tell courts what they must do to comply with ICWA. • The 2016 guidelines also went into effect on December 12, 2016. However, these are not binding law. They interpret the regulations, and they tell courts and child welfare workers what they should do to comply with ICWA. If the guidelines aren’t even binding, do they really help courts and child welfare workers? Even though ICWA has been around for thirty-nine years, we’re still seeing different states applying the law differently. So, we need all the guidance we can get. The guidelines really do offer some useful, practical advice, too. For example, states have more or less been left on their own to figure out how they should ask tribes if children are members or eligible for membership. States have only been told that they have to contact tribes to verify membership. If you’re a new state child welfare worker, you just have to make your best guess at what information you should ask for and provide the tribe, which is frustrating. If you’re a tribal child welfare worker, you probably don’t get enough information from the state to make a good decision, which is also frustrating. The guidelines, unlike ICWA and the regulations, say, “state, here is the information you should send to tribes to determine membership: genograms, all known names of parents, current and former addresses of parents and extended family, all known tribal affiliations for people listed on ancestry charts, addresses for residence and domicile of child and parents and whether these are on tribal lands.” Even though the state doesn’t have to gather and send this information, it provides some practical steps we can follow to make it more likely that we identify Indian children to whom ICWA applies to early on, which is good for everyone. Where do I find the 2016 ICWA guidelines? The BIA has published them on their website, www.indianaffairs.gov, under their Division of Human Services page. You can link to the guidelines directly at goo.gl/rNxq4k National Indian Child Welfare Association | NICWA News
New Faces at NICWA! NICWA is pleased to welcome three new driven ICWA-defenders to our organization— John Gamiles, Nicole Stewart, and Vilma Vere. John Gamiles is our fiscal director (consultant) with expertise in financial reporting and analytics. He graduated from Portland State University with a bachelor of science degree in accounting and brings to NICWA over 37 years of experience in the accounting profession both in public accounting and in private industry. John is an active member of both the American and Oregon Society of CPAs. Nicole Stewart is our new operations coordinator, coming to NICWA with a passion for helping children thrive within their communities. Nicole is currently providing critical assistance in the operations department, including support work in human resources and administrative services. Vilma Vere is our new fiscal assistant. She comes to NICWA with an extensive background in accounting. She is helping the fiscal department at NICWA with administrative support as well as undertaking a project to create a process manual for the department’s main software system. We are so thankful to be able to bring such talented and motivated people onto our team!
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2017 Annual Protecting Our Children Conference Breaks Records
The 35th Annual Protecting Our Children Conference (2017) stands out in NICWA’s history as a recordbreaking conference in several ways. Exceeding previous years’ attendance numbers, this year’s conference hosted over 1,200 attendees, showcased over 140 presenters with 73 workshops, featured 40 exhibitors, and raised over $190,000 through sponsorships and raffles. The conference is truly a collaborative effort, with all NICWA staff, board, members, and partners on board. We count on the support of the communities we serve to join with us in orchestrating this fantastic event. We can say with confidence that, as the leading national conference in Indian child welfare, we are significantly impacting Native communities, families, and children across Indian Country. We hear annually from our conference goers that throughout the year they look forward to this conference as an opportunity to engage with other professionals; learn the most up to date policies, interventions, and programming; and find opportunities for growth in their work. With four primary tracks offered, participants choose the workshop topics that best fit their needs from the following: child welfare, foster care, and adoption services; children’s mental health; judicial and legal affairs; and youth and family involvement.
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One conference attendee remarked that they “took excellent notes and made connections with the presenters, and plan to take this information home to help start the conversation and hopefully make changes and adjustments.”
I took excellent notes and made connections with presenters and plan to take this information home to help start the conversation and hopefully make changes and adjustments. -Conference Attendee
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In addition to six different workshops slots and four general sessions featuring keynote speakers, participants attended the annual membership meeting and reception on Sunday night, starting out the conference in a good way, with over 250 in attendance. The program highlighted our member of the year (see article on page 10) and featured two local tribal dance groups of youth and adults, incorporating song, dance, and local language. It was an evening celebrating the local area and the richness of culture. Five-hundred and seventy individuals, organizations, and tribes renewed their NICWA membership. An ICWA Directors lunch and Legal Professionals reception engaged professional groups within the conference to network to share best practices, challenges, and strategies for moving forward. The last evening of conference was reserved for our banquet dinner and a special program highlighting our highest honor, the annual Champion for Native Children award, this year awarded to Sandy White Hawk, a Sicangu Lakota adoptee from the Rosebud Reservation, who has made significant impact in Indian Country with her contributions in the adoptee, birth parent, and formerly fostered community National Indian Child Welfare Association | NICWA News
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through the founding of First Nations Repatriation Institute. The First Nations Repatriation Institute is the first organization of its kind whose goal is to create a resource for First Nations people impacted by foster care or adoption to return home, reconnect, and reclaim their identity. The Institute also serves as a resource to enhance the knowledge and skills of practitioners who serve First Nations people. Ms. White Hawk organizes Truth Healing Reconciliation Community Forums that bring together adoptees and fostered individuals, their families, and professionals with the goal to identify post adoption issues and identify strategies that will prevent removal of First Nations children. The opportunity to thank and honor Sandy for her life’s work was a highlight of the 2017 conference. Sandy accepts the 2017 Champion for Native Children Award
4 sunny days 8 conference raffle prizes 17 CEU credits 18 youth cultural performers 40 exhibitors 45 states and provinces represented
47 sponsors 48 volunteers 73 workshops 75 featured member profiles 143 presenters 233 tribes represented
Upcoming Training and Events
NICWA’s New Training Institutes Every year, NICWA holds several regional training institutes addressing the most requested and relevant topics to equip individuals working in Indian child welfare for their day-today work. Our goal is to build skills, knowledge, and understanding in the topic areas so that Native families and children are served in the most effective way possible. Individuals and groups travel from their communities to gather with other Indian child welfare workers from tribes, states, provinces, and organizations from across the country. These three-day trainings provide opportunities for networking, collaboration, and training for new and veteran staff alike.
September 12–14, 2017
Minneapolis, Minnesota • Understanding ICWA • Cross Cultural Skills in Indian Child Welfare • Positive Indian Parenting
November 7–9, 2017 Albuquerque, New Mexico • Understanding ICWA • In-Home Services
December 5–7, 2017
Miami Beach, Florida • Understanding ICWA • Positive Indian Parenting
April 15–18, 2018
Anchorage, Alaska • 36th Annual Protecting Our Children Conference
April 18–20, 2018
Anchorage, Alaska • Understanding ICWA • Positive Indian Parenting
National Indian Child Welfare Association | NICWA News
333 NICWA store items sold 400 feet of lazy river with waterfalls 570 new members 698 conference app users 1,241 attendees 191, 458 total dollars raised
Over the next year, between June 2017 and April 2018, NICWA is offering five training institutes with the following topics: Understanding ICWA, Working with Substance Abusing Families, Positive Indian Parenting, In-Home Services, and Cross Cultural Skills in Indian Child Welfare. While Understanding ICWA and Positive Indian Parenting are offered at many of our training institutes, the remaining three are offered just once this upcoming year. The Working with Substance Abusing Families training will be offered in Portland in June and will provide an overview of strategies and approaches to working effectively with substance-abusing Native families from both a direct service and systems collaboration point of view. During the September training institute in Minneapolis, Cross Cultural Skills in Indian Child Welfare training participants will be provided with guidance on how to build cross cultural skills and implement culturally responsive services to connect with tribal communities they serve. In November, the In-Home Services training, hosted in Albuquerque, will provide participants with a set of family-centered services designed to keep families together including, family support, prevention, and family preservation.
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Program
Updates
Strengths-Based Cultural Adaptations of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study Childhood experiences can have wide-ranging and long-term health and social consequences for a child. Both positive and negative experiences impact future exposure to violence, victimization, health, and opportunity. Foundational research in this area began with the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (Felitti, 2003). The ACE Study was a collaborative effort between Kaiser Permanente and the Center for Disease Control that retrospectively compared ten types of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) against adult health status. The ten types of ACEs fit into the categories of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction and were measured using a survey. An ACE score, ranging from zero to ten, was calculated by aggregating the number of categories of ACEs that a person experienced. Study findings indicated that persons with an ACE score higher than four had significantly higher levels of physical (e.g., obesity, heart disease, respiratory disease), mental (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder), and substances abuse disorders in adulthood. In order for service providers to develop a more culturally appropriate way to engage with ACEs in Indian Country, modified tools to measure or ask about ACEs should include questions about culture as well as intergenerational and historical trauma. As part of the effort to increase the use of trauma-informed practices, research findings from the ACEs study are being used to shape how child welfare workers, medical practitioners, lawyers, and judges screen for ACEs and use this information in their work (Kenney & Singh, 2016). While some studies suggest that American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals are disproportionately affected by ACEs, many of these studies do not account for historical and intergenerational trauma or ongoing oppression experienced by AI/AN people (Kenney & Singh, 2016; Bigfoot & Schmidt, 2010). Due to this limitation, professionals should broaden their approach when applying the science of ACEs in Indian Country to include measures of historical, intergenerational, and ongoing trauma experienced by AI/AN people, which more fully accounts for childhood and contemporary trauma. Additionally, rich histories of resilience, cultural preservation, and protective factors of AI/AN communities are not measured by many current ACEs studies (Kenney & Singh, 2016; Bigfoot & Schmidt, 2010). NICWA uses the Relational Worldview Model to adapt ACEs for use in Indian Country. The relational worldview sees life as harmonious relationships between the interrelating factors of physical, emotional, mental, and contextual well-being (Cross, 1998). In order to fully understand the impact of ACEs in AI/AN communities, ACEs studies in Indian Country should include an examination of the protective factors present in AI/AN communities, not just trauma experiences. Some examples of protective factors include participation in cultural activities and ceremonies, speaking Native languages, and connection with elders (Pavkov, Travis, Fox, King, & Cross, 2010). Protective factors can positively impact a youth’s well-being, and should be considered in how ACEs are used in a community to affect programming. AI/AN communities can adapt ACEs to include a look into historical trauma, intergenerational trauma, and protective factors to get a more holistic view of their communities’ needs.
Graduation ceremony at SOC meeting
Tribal Systems of Care Grantee Gathering In September 2015, the University of Maryland was awarded a fiveyear Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) contract for Systems of Care technical assistance (TA). The University of Maryland’s National Technical Assistance Network for Children’s Behavioral Health (TA Network) operates the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC), funded by the SAMHSA Child, Adolescent and Family Branch to provide training and technical assistance to states, tribes, territories, and communities funded by the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program. NICWA is a subcontractor to provide TA to tribal Systems of Care grantees. NICWA’s approach to TA is to help grantees find and build on solutions and resources already available in the community and to empower local leaders, program staff, and advocates to create and implement their own solutions to local problems. NICWA believes that few solutions imposed from outside are ever effective in Indian communities. People or groups from outside cannot bring about change. What can be brought to a community is help with problemsolving skills and strategies, facilitation of community process, and sharing of technical information or knowledge to show people how to achieve their own goals. NICWA’s philosophy on training and technical assistance reflects on the Systems of Care values (see goo.gl/zYLIIo) while applying NICWA’s relational worldview model (see nicwa.org/relational_worldview). NICWA believes in enhancing the local natural helping systems, honoring diversity among Indian people, respecting each community’s unique culture and strengths, and building an ongoing relationship with tribes. National Indian Child Welfare Association | NICWA News
After the Protecting Our Children conference in April, NICWA hosted a one day Tribal Systems of Care (SOC) grantee gathering, attended by more than 100 participants. NICWA staff, SAMHSA Federal Program Officer Capt. Andy Hunt, TA consultants Dan Aune and Holly Echo-Hawk, and all 15 tribal SOC grantee communities. Following the meeting welcome from NICWA and SAMHSA, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) from Alaska led a cultural opening. The first plenary session was a panel entitled “Using your data: The Importance of Data, and Evaluation.” In the afternoon, five concurrent breakout sessions were offered: youth engagement, family engagement, being trauma informed in the workplace, sustainability, and evaluation. The breakouts offered an important opportunity for peer-to-peer sharing. The afternoon plenary session was a talking circle about increasing the use of traditional cultural practices and teachings within clinical services. The grantee meeting concluded with a graduation ceremony and NICWA gifted blankets to the four tribal SOC communities who will be ending their grants this year: Cherokee Nation, Detroit Wayne County Mental Health Authority, Montana Office of Public Instruction, and Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center. Other Tribal SOC communities also shared gifts or good words of encouragement to continue this important work for their communities. A cultural closing ended the grantee meeting until we meet again next year.
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San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Invests in Critical Services to Indian Country One of NICWA’s most critical services to Indian Country, our ICWA Crisis Response and Family Advocacy Program, received a tremendous boost from our long-time partner, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, with an investment of $150,000. Joining the Spirit Mountain Community Fund as a supporter of this work, their investment enables NICWA to employ a full-time ICWA Specialist who manages our requests for information (RFI). Last year, we received a record- breaking number of RFI phone calls (1,058 unique callers). Each year we see this number increase, and callers are often families in crisis who are overwhelmed by a complicated state child welfare system. Over the last three years, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians helped us pioneer service models, honing best practices in crisis call response and management. This year marks an important turning point, where we are building and expanding upon an established program. We plan to do this in the following ways: First, by having a centralized staff position manage the entire program, families and communities receive responses to their questions quickly and consistently. When families are able to build a trusting rapport over a period of time with one person, we are able to increase the flow of information and referrals, and resultantly, the chance for successful outcomes in a case. Second, NICWA will expand our capacity to share information over the next year by updating a state-by-state attorney referral list, producing four podcasts, and writing two articles for publication. The podcasts and articles will target a wider and more diverse audience to expand our reach and strengthen ICWA compliance. Finally, our RFI work has a direct connection to our advocacy to defend ICWA, as often we receive dramatic spikes in calls across Indian Country when high profile ICWA cases occur. As part of this grant, San Manual Band of Mission Indians will help stabilize and expand NICWA’s advocacy and policy programming by funding the development and dissemination of tools designed for tribal, state/county, and federal officials as part of our ICWA public education efforts. These resources support our proactive media and public relations work to defend ICWA against threats from special interest groups that seek to diminish tribal sovereignty and tribes’ ability to protect their children. Both NICWA’s RFI work and advocacy are funded with a combination of tribal support and individual donations. This combination of funding is primarily unrestricted and often the most difficult to raise. Tribes are our biggest allies in ICWA compliance and defense work, and we believe tribes are positioned to make the best decisions for their member children and families. Thank you to San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Spirit Mountain Community Fund, and all of our tribal partners– you are critical to making this work possible!
Thanks to Our Tribal Partners for Your Support of Our ICWA Compliance & Defense Work! Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria Chickasaw Nation Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Cowlitz Indian Tribe Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians Lummi Nation Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California Oneida Indian Nation Poarch Band of Creek Indians Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians Puyallup Tribe of Indians Quileute Nation Quinault Indian Nation San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Seminole Tribe of Florida Skokomish Tribal Nation Spirit Mountain Community Fund Squaxin Island Tribe Suquamish Tribe Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians Wyandotte Nation National Indian Child Welfare Association | NICWA News
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Jill Kehaulani Esch, Chosen as NICWA’s 2017 Member of the Year! Since our inception, NICWA’s purpose has been to protect and promote the best interest of Native children. Our work has been guided by our vision that every American Indian and Alaska Native child should have access to community-based, culturally appropriate services which help them grow up safe, healthy, and spiritually strong – free from abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation, and the damaging effects of substance abuse. NICWA’s annual Member of The Year award honors and recognizes an individual or organizational member of NICWA who has demonstrated outstanding service, contributions, and leadership in their profession, as well as involvement as a member of NICWA. In April, we were delighted to honor Jill Kehaulani [kay-how-la-knee] Esch, Esq. as our 2017 NICWA Member of The Year. Jill has long been involved with promoting her Native Hawaiian culture. After moving to Minnesota nearly two decades ago, she became part of the Minnesota American Indian Bar Association as a member, board member, and secretary, as well as fundraising for their Native law scholarships. Her appointment, in 2013, as the Minnesota Ombudsperson for American Indian Families is testament to her commitment to Native children and families. In this role, she investigates complaints for noncompliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act, and statutes, rules, and policies that involve child protection cases. Jill works in conjunction with the state, courts, 87 counties, schools, and families to improve outcomes for Native families. If a case is in Minnesota, she can work with any of the 567 federally recognized tribes to ensure the best outcomes for our children and families. She is a member of numerous boards, tribunals, and committees, and provides expert testimony to relevant task forces and courts. This role keeps her busy, but as the saying goes: “If you want Jill Esch, 2017 Member of the Year, poses for a NICWA selfie something done, give it to a busy person.” Jill has been a tireless supporter of NICWA’s work through participating in our 2016 conference local planning committee, attending ICWA trainings and events, educating people about NICWA’s work and about the need for compliance with ICWA, as well as reaching out to tribes and others to help secure funds to assist NICWA to defend ICWA nationally. Jill is humble. When we called to tell her that she had been selected as our awardee, she said: “Are you sure you haven’t made a mistake? Like at the Oscars? I am just doing my job. Are you sure you got the right envelope?” She does this work with such enthusiasm and always with a big aloha smile. NICWA staff have come to expect a regular call or email from Jill, asking “What can I do next?” Jill is a force of nature! We congratulate her on being selected as our 2017 NICWA Member of The Year!
In Appreciation of Linda Logan
Linda Logan at our 2015 annual conference
National Indian Child Welfare Association | NICWA News
In late April, NICWA lost a dear friend and board member. Linda Logan passed away following unsuccessful surgery for a brain tumor. Linda joined the NICWA board in 2006, and for the last 11 years chaired our program committee. Linda, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, devoted her life and career to American Indian and Alaska Native children. She was instrumental in the development and expansion of child advocacy centers in Indian Country. She provided consultation on child abuse prevention and the role of culture in strengthening families. She promoted language preservation and the role of tribal language in the healthy, early development of Native children. As a member of the NICWA board of directors, Linda could always be counted on for encouraging words, great questions, and community-based input. We will miss her volunteer spirit and her passion for protecting our children from abuse and neglect.
Summer 2017 | 10
Individuals Abalone: Abito, Rosalisa Acuna, Cassandra Adams, Eddie Aguilar, Joe Aguilar, Jr., Raymond Allen, Harvey Altschul, Deborah Anderson, Donald Anderson, Katherine Anderson, Pamela Andon, Marilyn Aniol, Michelle Antone, Monica L. Antony, Valentine Aragon, Edwayne Arche, Richelle Arrietta, Lenora Aspa, Elvira Atherton, Haley Atimalala, Ituau Atkinson, Megan Augare, Victoria Austin, Ramona Axtell, Sara Baga, Jeanne M. Baker, Greta Balatche, Jaylynn Baldwin, Teressa Barbour, Laura Barnes, Alvina Barr, Theresa L. Bashore, Sarah Begay, Christopher Begay, Shirley M. Begay, Tileah Beltran, Lucy Benally, Stephanie Bennett, Joni Benson, LouAnn Berg, Candice Bertram, Lori Ann Big Head, Floyd Bigsam, Rachael Bird, Doreen Bird, Jackie Black, Darla Bonilla, Cynthia Boro, Justin Bostick, Tiona Bourget, Juliana Boyd, Lisa Boyd, Preston Boyd, Tonya Bradley, Kelly Brady, Roni Rae R. Branchaud, Bridgette Brenard, Barry Brown, Breanna Brown, Elaine Brueseke, Benjamin Brun, Nicole Brunk, Alice Bunchanan, Barbie Burgess, Valerie Burton, Alvena Butler, Lillie Butler, Loraine Butler, Reggie Cabral, Mimi Cacalda, Francis Callis, Angelina Candelaria, James Capoeman, Alaina Carl, Sheila Carmen, Kathleen Carr, Michelle Carrillo, Jessica Carter, Stephanie Carter-Goodheart, Patricia Cass, Evelyn Cavanaugh, Willam Cedeno, Jim Celestine, Melissa Chairez, Leonor Chaliak, Jim Chalmers, Cathy Chambers, Jennifer Charles, Becky Chavarria, Terrie Chaves, Amanda Chavez, April K. Chavez, Rebecca Chesnut, Megan Chiles, Winfred Chimoni, Pamelia Choate, Jolyn
Christensen, Kim K. Christensen, Marilyn Church, Cassondra Ciotti, Katy Clark, Brenda Clements, Sarah Comanche, Marlena Concha, Michelle Connor, Angela Cook, Sarah Coosewoon, Rita Copeland, Casey Copenhaver, LaFon Cordero, Tess Coriz, Robert Coupland, Maryann Crawford, Delores Cross, Marena Cross-Garcia, Charlotte Crow Spreads His Wings, Kyla Cruze, Jennifer M. Cultee, Casie Curran, Kelly Dailey, Caroline Daly, Meg Danforth, Melinda Daniels, Erica Davey-Light, Marla Davis, Leona Day, Elisabeth De Jager, Jennifer De Los Reyes, Charisma R. DeCoteau, Lester DeGroot, Jessica Delgado, Paul Denny, Jackie Derendoff, Valerie DeRoche, Mary L. Deschenne, Dionne Deysie, Erina Dimmick, Charlene Dodson, Donalda Dubec, Bernice Dudley, Gloria Duenas, David Duncan, Janice Echohawk, Lucille A. Eckdahl, Dawn Eller, Jari Emery, Adirian Emery, Janet Engel, Vicky Engren, Amanda Enos, Antoinette Escarte, Ozzy Esquirell, James Evan, Katelynn Evans, Shoni Evans-Sommer, Diane Factor, Nilda M. Faris, Kara Farren, Amanda Feliciano, Juan Feliz, Susann Fernando, Samantha Fineday, Leonard Finley, Darrin Fisherman, Jessica Flores, Amelia Fodor, Brian Foster, Laurie Fox, Monte Frost, Lisa Fulgencio, Adrienne Fuller, Renee Gachupin, Annette Gamez, Maritess Garay, Nicole Garcia, Debbie Garza, Julian Gil-Kashiwabera, Eleanor Gilman, Melissa Goble, Alex Goldsbury, Donna Golec, Roger Gonzales, Norma Gonzalez, Serina Gooden, Myrna Gordon, Laura Gores, Amy Gorman, Carlee Gorman, Cassandra Goseyun, Nyokia Gould, Diane Gragg, Tara Gros Ventre Boy, Michael B.
New & Renewing Members
Grover, Agnes Guerrero, Laura Gutierrez, Adrianna Haddock, Lise Hamilton, Nancy Hancock, Emily Harding, Karelia Harding Cortright, Kathryn Harlan, Emily Harrina, Magdaline Harrison, Jahari W. Hascall-Reyes, Shannon Hatch, Cleve Hawley, Monica Hawthorne, Paulie Hazen, Lynn Heinrich, Ryan Hendricks, Catherine Hendricks, Rhiannon Henio, Sherry Henry, Charles Henry, Gerdenia Henry-Poitra, Nicole Herbert, Valentina Hernandez, Brenda M. Hernandez, Nancy Hernandez, Norma Hess, Katie Hill, Orenda Hillaire, Roberta Hogan, Moreina Holthusen, Bobby Homer, Frank Hooee, Gerald Hooper, Jeanine Hostler, Shari Houde, Jennifer Hough, Jawnie Houle, Thelma Hudson, Colleen Hunt, Ashley Hunter, Fredricka Hunter, Lillian Hunter, Rhoda M. Hunter, Teresa Hurt, Johnna Iannone-Walker, Mary Iceman, Shay Iron Shooter, Stephanie Irwin, Jon Ivan, Elizabeth Jackson, Earl Jacobson, Tessa James, Tina Jauregui, Jasmin Javier, Roberta Jefferson, Denise John, Tina Johnson, Brandi Johnson, Lou Johnson, Mary Johnson, Suzanne Jones, Anderson Jones, Carrie Jones, Cat Jones, Chandria Jones, Ellen Jordan, Lynnette Jordan, Norman Jozwiak, Frank Judd, Darrin June, Dennis Kakkak, Gena Kane, Lee Anne A. Kanuho, David Kanuho, Suzanne Kasabian, Alian Kato, Chiharu Kaye, Nia Keeswood, Gina Kelly, Erica Kemper, Carolyn Kendrick, Margaret Kenton, Loranda Kicking Woman, Louann Kiele, Tracy Kihega, Andrea Kincaid, Elizabeth King, Cecila King, Lawrence Kingbird, Wenona Klippert, Sonya Komardley, Teresa Krzywicki, Laura LaGou, Candace Landriani, Kelvina
LaPiere, Jonelle LaRance, Gary LaRoque, Resa Lasater, Cortney Lavell, Tawanish Le, Loc Ledoux, Virginia Leemhuis, Patricia Lenzi, Patricia Leonard, Kyle Lewis, Melvin Lilley, Imogene Lindgren, Harmony Lippe, Hannah Little Dog, Sarah Littlejohn, Valarie Lloyd, Todd Lochman, Natashia Loretto, Vera Lorina-Mills, Elizabeth Lovato, Otis Love, Linda Lucero, Kristin Luna, Melanie Lussier, Rhonda Made, Estomina Madsen, Amy Magoosh, Joellyn Maillet, Kiana Mainville, Donna Mainville, Kevin Maldonado, Allie G. Maldonado, Kevin Maloney, Samala Malumaleumu, Joann Mann, Sybil Manson, Brigette Mantovani, Claudio Marshall, Stephanie Martin, Marie Martin, Patricia Martin, Sharlotte Martine, Kandis Martinez, Samantha Matte, Virginia McAdoo, Amanda McCleave, Christine McCormick, Tara J. McCovey, Allyson McCovey, Sharon Mcelwain, Dawn McGeshick, Andrea McGeshick, Melissa McGinnis, Robin McMillen, Allison McPerryman, Melody Medicine Blanket, Marcella Merrifield, Joel Merritt, Natalie Michaud, Pam Mochin, Lucy Moore, Gina Moreno, Viviana Morgan, Mary S. Morin, Violet Morones, Karen Morrison, Judy A. Morton, Leslie Moses, Keith Moses, Lola Nason, Pam Nate, Amelia Nava, Julian Neglaska, Ann Neidich, Kevin Nelson, Tera Newgren-Isaacson, Donna Nicholson, Buffy Nieto, Teresa North Cloud, Beaver Notah, Harrelson Obie, Merris Obie, Teresina O’Grady, Crystal Ohman, Matt Olague, Emanuel Old Elk, Ann Oldman, Arnella Olney, Jeanne Olujic, Joe Ortega, Kay Otipoby-Herbert, Lisa Pablo, Elizabeth Pablo, Jason Palmer, Samantha Parada, Gwendolyn Patterson, Ruth Pendergrass, Doug
Perala, Krista Peralta, Maureen Perez, Jacqueline Perez, Joe Perez, Tracy Peters, Clara Peterson, Gary Peterson, Yvonne Peyvandi, Shawn Philbrick, Alizabeth Phillips, Holly Picard, Kathy Pico, Anthony Pintor, Eredi Platz, Shayne Plumer, Joseph Polanco, Mayra Pretty On Top, Dee Quaha, Laura Quintana, Donna Rammelsberg, Jessica Ramon, Sharon Ramon, Vangie Raphealito, Jerrilisa Redd, Todd Reyes, Andrea Rice, Marina Richey, Pamela Riley, Beverly Robicheau, Karen Rodriguez, Jillian Rogers, Griselda Rondeaux, Crystal Rooney, Sherrie Rose, Laurie Round Stone, Mark Rowley, Joy Roybal, Edward Rundles, Dottie Russ, Cassie Russell, Rebecca Ruvalcaba, Frances Sahota, Puneet Salazar, Cloyce Salinas, Erika Sanchez, Julia Sanchez, Ryan Sanderson, Cheryl Sandoval, Jimel Sasakamoose, Lisa Saul, Lovina Saupitty, Monica Saylor, Rachel Schubert, Tina J. Scott, Matthew Scott-Carter, Vesta Segodi, Delphine Severns, Tristin Sexton, Tara Shaishnikoff, Cheyanne Shapiro, Lauren Shendo, Fleta Shomo, Jennifer Shopteese, Carol Shue, Felecia Shustek, Barbara Sierra, Amanda Silva, Robert Simon, Janis Simonson, Lori Simpson, Annette Simpson, Elizabeth Simpson, Isan Sisson, Torey Skenandore, Jodie Slizewski, Michael S Smith, Alisha Smith, Angel Smith, Darcy Smith, Kayla Smith, Kimberly Smith, Marwin Smith Goering, Emily Soffoi, Catherine Soholt, Jody Sommer, Shannon Spang, Robyn Spencer, Alton Spencer, Roger Sproul, Lara Steele, Kevin Stensgar, Danielle Stevens, Tammie Stevens, Theresa Storm, Susan Strohauer, Tamara Strong, Darchelle Strongman, Debra
Sutton, Beverly Swinney-Griggs, Arianne R. Syria, Melissa Taggart, Sean Taylor, Dana Tecumseh-Williams, Carmin Tenorio, Esquipula Tenorio, Jennifer Tenorio, Mary F. Tenorio, Mary Tenorio, Virginia Tenute, Hillory Thomas, Aaron Thomas, Romajean Thomas, Trisha Topsky, Elaine Tsaipi, Charlene Tso, Crescentia Tunney Rogers, Tallerita Twining Blue, Elizabeth Uken, Valerie Valeski, Kristin Van Zile, Marisa Vargas, Alexis Vargas, Doreen Vargas, Javier Venegas, Juanita Villalba, Brenda Volkman, Jennifer Wahlen, Michael Walker, Orianna Walsh, Niisha Waquie, Christine Washine, Natalie Watters, Charlotte Weasel Head, Marcel Weathersby, Julie Webb, Reycha Wescott, Matthew Wesley, Phyllis Westing, Penny White, Brenda White, Craig White, Vashti White Eagle, Gail White Eagle, Tamara White Horse, Nancy Whiteley, Liana Whitney, Sara Whitworth, Brandelle Wilbur, Loreen Williams, Shawn Wilson, Dawn Wilson, Jacqueline Wilson, James Wilson, Wesley Wind, Robyn Windego, Garry Windego, Verna Wind-Hummingbird, Kimee Winston, Kelly Wittmann, Sarah Wittmann, Susan J. Wolf, Barbara Wood, Kristin Woods, Brenda Woods, Victor Worstell, Alexann Wreggitt, Carleigh Wright, Ted Wyasket, Floyd M. Yamate, May Yamutewa, Yvette Yang, Tse Yazzie, Regina Yazzie, Wilfred Yliniemi, Diana Young, Charnette Young, John Youngman, Tessa Turquoise: Binneboese, Erin Chisholm, Anita CrossBear, Shannon Draper, Janet Foxcroft, Debra Glenn-Rivera, Danielle Jaakola, Julia E. Kastelic, Sarah Keith, Jennifer S. Kindred, Kylie Lein, Laura Lindecamp, Robert Massey, Terrelene
Matthew, Cori Miller, Allison Mithlo, Sandra San Miguel, Roban L. Sapcut, Yonevea Coral: Carroll, Dione C. Cavaliere, Angi Crofoot, Thomas L. Dixon, Juana M. Esch, Jill K. Giordano, Jo-Ann Givens, Fay Jones, Francine E. Leigh, Rovianne Prout, Jo Vigil, Gil L. Tribes Cedar (*was Turquoise): Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians Native Village of Port Lions Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma Pueblo of Pojoaque Pueblo of San Felipe Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska Seneca Nation of Indians - Salamanca Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) of Massachusetts Sage (**was Coral): Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Greenville Rancheria Meadow Lake Tribal Council Osage Nation Social Services Pauma Band of Mission Indians Poncho Coushatta Tribe of LA Organizations Cedar (*was Turquoise): Cankdeska Cikana Community College Capacity Building Center for Tribes Native American Community Services Nebraska Families Collaborative Sage (**was Coral): Association of Village Council Presidents Casey Family Programs-Arizona Casey Family Programs-Austin Casey Family Programs-Bay Area Casey Family Programs-Denver Casey Family ProgramsHeadquarters Casey Family Programs-Idaho Casey Family Programs-LA County Casey Family Programs-San Antonio Casey Family Programs-San Diego Casey Family Programs-Seattle Casey Family Programs-Yakima Programs-Yakima
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