2025 Fiscal Year Annual Report

A Message from NICWA’s Executive Director

Dear NICWA Members, Donors, and Partners,

Together this year, we’ve built on the success of the past several years. We’ve had some federal policy wins and seen progress in the decolonization and re-Indigenization efforts Tribes are making. We’ve created issue briefs, advocacy tip sheets for families and service providers, sample policy advocacy letters and draft comments, and many more resources all available on our new website. We’ve grown our network of advocacy partners and deepened our coalition work. Thanks to your support, we’ve become stronger and more impactful than ever.

In our work to strengthen Tribal and urban Indian communities to better support Native families and children, we have the opportunity on a daily basis to look to our cultures and connections as Native people- to the land and waters and our environment; to our relatives- human, animal, and plant; to the generations that came before and will come after us; and to our Creator. This, our ancestral wisdom, positions NICWA as a resource that helps self-determined Native communities.  We offer tools, examples, and technical expertise. We listen closely, synthesize what we hear, and ask questions to prompt and clarify emerging community visions and strategy. We use our platforms and gatherings to highlight and share trends and innovations. We use community insight and policymaker relationships to advocate for the policy changes and federal funding to support the programs and services that Tribal Nations and urban centers need to strengthen families, according to their values and priorities. As we close another fiscal year, we are grateful to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, uplifting our connections for the benefit of Native children and communities.

Quyanaa,

Sarah Kastelic, PhD (Alutiiq)

Executive Director