Quarterly Newsletter
“Uniting Our Voices for Our Children, Culture, & Communities”
NICWA News is the quarterly newsletter for members and donors of the National Indian Child Welfare Association. Donate or become a member today to subscribe.
Dear NICWA Members, Sponsors, Donors, and Friends,
Welcome to the spring issue of NICWA News. This issue embraces the 44th Annual Protecting Our Children Conference theme, “Uniting our Voices for Our Children, Culture, and Communities,” which calls us to come together in solidarity for a shared purpose to recognize that our future lies in the well-being of our children, the strength of our cultures, and the resilience of our communities. By uniting our voices, we amplify the values, stories, and aspirations that define who we are. Our Indigenous unity celebrates our collective advocacy, intergenerational wisdom, and cultural pride, reminding us that meaningful change happens when we speak and act together. As Tribal people, we have faced systems and governments that sought to destroy our ways of life and eliminate us. Our ancestors fought back, united in their resolve to protect their children and the generations to come. Today, our ancestors’ teachings remind us that in these uncertain times, a return to our “roots” and our cultural practices can bring balance back into our lives. Indigenous self-determination is doing things our way, restoring traditional systems of care that reflect community values and ways of healing. It’s reconnecting to community-driven solutions and preventive measures as well as indigenizing our child welfare systems to include traditional practices. As you’ll read in this issue, we’ve just wrapped up our incredibly successful
44th Annual Conference, where we welcomed 1,521 people in Oklahoma City. We gratefully acknowledge the 40 sponsors who generously contributed $297,500 to create this enriching experience. A gathering of service providers, community members, and advocates over four days of learning, networking, and celebration together, the conference furthered NICWA’s mission to protect the safety, health, and cultural identity of all Native children and families—today and for future generations—by upholding culturally based services, community strength, and Tribal
sovereignty. A real highlight was our first-ever regional convening sessions, where attendees met by region to review the ICWA 2050 plan and identify progress towards initial priority objectives.
Our conference is a powerful reminder of the commitment and impact of the caseworkers and service providers in our Tribal and state helping programs and systems. We hope you’ll mark your calendar now for the 45th Annual Protecting Our Children Conference in Albuquerque, NM, on April 4-7, 2027.
Sarah L. Kastelic, PhD, MSW
(Alutiiq)