Each year, NICWA hosts the largest national gathering on American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) child advocacy issues. With over 1,500 attendees—and growing every year—this four-day conference has become the premiere national event addressing tribal child welfare and well-being. Keynote speakers range from federal officials at the highest level of government to youth with lived experience in child welfare systems.

NICWA provides meaningful programming to conference attendees, creating a space where participants can learn about the latest developments and best practices from experts in the field and from one another. Participants represent a cross-section of fields and interests including child welfare, mental health, and juvenile justice service providers; legal professionals; students; advocates for children; and tribal, state, and federal leaders.

Contact Lauren Shapiro for registration information (

39th Annual Protecting Our Children Conference

You are invited to the Prevent Cancer Dialogue

, featuring Analisa Garcia-Rockbridge (Diné) of Mother of Sage Yoga (copied below). Analisa will be leading a session entitled 

Breathing throughout the Day: How to Link Breath to Movement with the Perspective of Indigenous Yoga.

We are also excited to have Marc Mason, RN from the Confederated Tribes of Warms Springs for his presentation 

Sharing Our Success in Vaccinating American Indians and Alaska Natives against HPV-Related Cancers in the Warm Spring IHS Service Area.

 Marc will speak as part of the last panel on community-level cancer prevention programs.

To attend live or view the recording afterward, here is the link to register for 

 and access the sessions, as well as view the rest of the agenda: 

https://2021preventcancerdialogue.vc.commpartners.com/

We would love it if you can join us and help spread the word about this year’s virtual 

. If you have any questions or need further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

2021 Virtual Prevent Cancer Dialogue!

EMPOWERING INDIGENOUS YOUTH LEADERSHIP IN THE CLIMATE MOVEMENT

Virtual Session III will provide a forum to discuss the important role Indigenous youth can and should play in broader efforts of the climate movement. The aim is to both inspire youth advocacy, provide empowering information through a panel discussion on what works in youth advocacy, and share ways to build programs to introduce youth to culture and traditions. The aim is to invest in our Indigenous youth now as a forward-looking strategy for effecting long-term change.

 but you must register.
Note: Although this is a virtual session, participants may call into the session if they do not have internet access.
More event details can be found on the meeting agenda.

SESSION OBJECTIVES
>> Learn what works in Indigenous youth advocacy.
>> Share successes on building programs that introduce youth to culture and traditions – learning through examples.
>> Learn for youth who have gone through climate internships and training programs: what they learned, how they put that information to use, where are they now.
>> Create a resource list of organizations and communities doing good work in the youth advocacy realm.
>> Make case for funding and re-funding programs to build youth capacity.
>> Use in-ward facing Youth-only event for training, skills development, networking, ongoing dialogue.

SESSION FORMAT
>> 3-hour online session using Zoom Webinar
>> Keynote address
>> Panel discussions with leaders on 4 topic areas

INTENDED AUDIENCE
>> Tribal leaders, Indigenous youth, students (including tribal colleges)
>> Native Youth-led and serving organizations and programs
>> Participants from the previous two Climate Policy Summits

More event details and a list of guest speakers will be announced soon. See Less

National Tribal Leadership Climate Change Summit >> Virtual Session III: Empowering Indigenous Youth

More event details and a list of guest speakers will be announced soon. 

Seven Generations Architecture + Engineering

16-minute film exploring the importance of the tribal peacemaking process and the creation of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Court and Peacemaking Center.



Following the screening, join us for a brief Q&A with architects Steve VandenBussche and J. Scott Winchester about the design of the tribal court and peacemaking center.

: Is your Federally Recognized Tribe seeking assistance to implement an ETC Program? Do you want to learn the history and steps behind program development? If so, join Sacred Path as we present, “An Inside Look to Secure Tribal Identification”. Visit our webpage to register for this free webinar, 

Enhanced Tribal Card Informational Webinar - Sacred Path

. Please email any questions to Shanti Gomez, 

In “I’m Not a Virus,” actor, comedian, and lifelong advocate for social justice Margaret Cho tells her personal story and challenges us to rethink “model minority” stereotypes. Sean Metzger (UCLA) discusses the ways in which gender and sexuality intersect with race in acts of hate. Historian Jack Tchen (Rutgers) will guide us through a history of anti-Asian racism in the U.S. Mitzi Carter (FIU) offers a personal reflection on the ways in which racism - both anti-Black and anti-Asian - reverberates across generations. Mia White (New School) will inspire us to reimagine “freedom” as rooted in cross-racial solidarity. And Cyra Choudhury (FIU) will examine how South Asian experiences relate to other AAPI groups by looking closely at the construction of “Asian” in the United States. The program opens with a statement on mindfulness by Joy Lidu Yi (FIU) and concludes with a call for love and care by Joanne Li, Dean of FIU Business.

I’m Not a Virus: A Teach-in on Anti-Asian and Asian American Racism

In December 2020, NCAI President Fawn Sharp created the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Task Force (Task Force) to address: (1) tribal COVID-19 relief needs; (2) tribal COVID-19 recovery needs; and (3) the chronic conditions that created the public health and economic circumstances making Tribal Nations and citizens vulnerable to this crisis. This Task Force is chaired by Chairman Larry Wright Jr. of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.

It is important that the Task Force and its members hear from all tribal nations on how COVID-19 has impacted their communities and the needs that tribal leaders have to respond and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and we have scheduled this regional online convening to gather tribal leader input in a town hall like setting. We sincerely hope you can attend.

Share the resources they require to address immediate COVID-19 relief and recovery;

The status of vaccine distribution within their tribal nation; and

Other related items in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and new administration.

Southwest & Western Regional Convening

2nd annual Sarasota Native American Film Festival

place virtually from March 19th until March 28th, 2021. The mission of the event, based in Sarasota,

Florida, is to present cinematic works related to the experience of indigenous people in the Americas. The

festival is presented by the Sarasota Film Festival with support from the Boxser Diversity Initiative, in

collaboration with the Native Reel Cinema Festival, the Stranahan House Museum, and the Ah-Tah-Thi-

Ki Museum of Seminole Culture and History. The event is free and open to the public to watch.

Showcasing a diverse program of over 20 films, the Sarasota Native American Film Festival will

feature the World Premiere of the feature documentary “Finding Angola: Manatee’s County First

Black Community,” directed by Charles Clapsaddle, about the Bradenton, Florida-based

community founded by escaped slaves and Seminoles in the early 1800s. The festival will also

feature a retrospective of films from the First Nations Mi’kmaq filmmaker Catherine Anne Martin,

including the World Premiere of her new documentary “The Basket Maker” that honors

generations of women who have used their skills and knowledge to create traditional art.

Among other programming highlights are films by the noted Seminole/Muskogee director Sterlin Harjo,

short films by emerging indigenous filmmakers, music videos by Seminole artists, and a spotlight on

alligator wrestling. The festival will also showcase “Smoke Signals,” the seminal 1998 road-trip dramedy

directed by Chris Eyre, as well as “Songs My Brother Taught Me,” the debut feature from the

celebrated, Academy Award-nominated director Chloe Zhao. Her film’s story focuses on life at the Pine

The virtual program will showcase films, live Q&As with the filmmakers behind the films, and panels that

speak to the Native American/Indigenous Peoples experience. Of particular note is the panel Listen and

Learn: key issues in Native American Life, which will feature leaders from the Lakota, Navajo, Seminole,

Pueblo and First Nations people discussing vital topics.

"The resounding success of last year's Sarasota Native American Indian Festival was indicative of

audiences yearning for more representation of undertold stories in arts and entertainment," said Mark

Famiglio, President of the Sarasota Film Festival. "This year's festival will continue to champion this

important community and we hope audiences continue to be delighted with the groundbreaking

"For the past 12 years, our mission has been to encourage a better understanding of the diverse groups,

racial, religious and gender in Southwest Florida. In partnership with the Sarasota Film Festival, the first

Native American Film Festival was held in 2020,” said Dan Boxser, of the Boxser Diversity Initiative. “It's

purpose is to inform, educate and entertain about a group of peoples who might not be on everyone's

radar. We are excited that this year we can are bringing together indigenous peoples from all over North

“I am very honored that the Sarasota Film festival reached out to The Native Reel Cinema Festival

to help be involved with their beautiful event. With this great collaboration I feel it will broaden the

focus and light on Native/Indigenous films, Directors, actors, and most importantly our stories.

MVTO!,” said Everett Osceola, President and Co-founder of Native Reel Cinema Festival.

The Sarasota Native American Film Festival will be available through the website

www.sarasotanativeff.com as well as on Sarasota Film Festival’s website starting on March 19th.

For more information on the Sarasota Film Festival, which will be taking place April 30th-May 9th,

2021 please go to: www.sarasotafilmfestival.com.

Held annually in Sarasota, Florida, the Sarasota Film Festival emphasizes the best in cinema alongside

exciting programs and events, with more than 200 films screened each year including features,

documentaries, shorts, and kid-friendly picks. Entering its 23rd year, the festival brings the best new and

established independent filmmakers to the Festival with local and kid-friendly programs that showcase its

idyllic Gulf Coast community. The festival is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization and also offers a year-round

educational program, which reaches thousands of local students through classic film showcases, film

For additional information please visit: 

COVID-19 Region Convening Great Plains and Rocky Mountain

COVID-19 Region Convening - Pacific

Dear Friends and Members of the Campus Community:

The American Indian Studies Department is excited to announce our 16th Annual Southeast Indian Studies Conference, which will take place virtually on Thursday and Friday, March 18-19, from 1:00-6:00 p.m. each day. The conference will showcase presentations by scholars and community members on topics including Indigenous medical perspectives, education, history, food sovereignty, and other subjects involving Southeast Native peoples.

Our keynote speaker this year is Dr. Devon Mihesuah, an enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the Cora Lee Beers Price Professor in the Humanities Program at the University of Kansas. In her address, "The Indigenous Food Sovereignty Movement in 2021," Dr. Mihesuah will discuss the meaning and importance of food sovereignty for Native peoples in the United States. Despite the growing enthusiasm for Indigenous food and initiatives designed to empower tribes across the country to control their own food production, she asks whether and how food sovereignty can truly be achieved and sustained.

The Southeast Indian Studies Conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required to receive a Zoom link to the event. Find more information, a full schedule, and a registration link to the conference at 

. For questions and more information, please contact Dr. Mary Ann Jacobs at 

We look forward to seeing you at the conference!

16th Annual Southeast Indian Studies Conference

COVID-19 Region Convening - Southern Plains & Eastern Oklahoma

The NCAI COVID-19 Task Force knows that when Indian Country comes together with a unified voice, we can accomplish great things. The Task Force also recognizes that we must hear from tribal leaders from all parts of Indian Country to ensure that we being as inclusive as possible.That is why during our regional convening meetings, to gather information directly from tribal leaders on their needs and struggles in combating this pandemic.

COVID-19 Region Convening - South and Eastern Tribes

 is the Summit to attend for those looking for high caliber networking, winning teaming opportunities, business development sessions, one-on-one conuslting, all centered around the American Indian Enterprise.

The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) is moving forward with 

 for American Indian enterprises. The event features tribal leaders, members of Congress, federal agency representatives, state and local officials and top CEO's on a national platform.

he Reservation Economic Summit held by The National Center For American Indian Enterprise Development features unparalleled access to respected tribal leaders, members of congress, federal agency representatives, state and local elected officials and top executives on a national platform. This year’s event is being held at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino March 15th-18th, 2021.

Full 3 days of access to general sessions and select breakout sessions

Full 3 days of access to Summit activities

Discounted hotel rate at the host hotel, Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

Res 2021 Reservation Economic Summit

Thursdays through Aug. 26, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET. 30 mins

https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/student-programs/virtual-field-trips/

Native Americans created and used many shapes, designs, colors and materials as an expression of their cultures and identities. Native art designs became a way to communicate tribal and family traditions and individual artistic skill and expression. These art forms have adapted over time and ensure that future generations continue traditions and reinforce tribal identity.

In this live and interactive program led by a museum educator, children will explore art forms based on region or tribal nation. By examining and looking closer at one art form, students will better understand how diverse Native cultures are.

How do animals appear in art traditions throughout American Indian cultures? Native nations along the North Pacific Coast have long used animals in their living stories and to represent their clans. One way these nations, such as the Tsimshian, incorporate animals into their art is with totem poles. Totem poles are tall, wooden sculptures carved with images of animals and symbols. They serve to record history and tell stories. Movement is part of this program.

Summer Virtual Field Trip: Native Expression - The Art of Totem Poles

? In December 2020, NCAI President Fawn Sharp created the COVID-19 Task Force to address: (1) tribal COVID-19 relief needs; (2) tribal COVID-19 recovery needs; and (3) the chronic conditions that created the public health and economic conditions that made tribal nations and citizens vulnerable to this crisis.

? The current membership of the COVID-19 Task Force is intended to have representation from all parts of Indian Country because we know that while some of our issues are similar, this pandemic has impacted us all in unique ways.

? The membership also includes critical organizations that are subject matter experts in their respected space. Organizations like:

The Native American Finance Officers Association;

The National Council of Urban Indian Health; and

Coordination Contact: Bernida Humetewa, Director of Tribal Outreach,

Northwest Regional COVID-19 Convening

Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Conner Indian Gaming and Tribal Self-Governance Programs

. Here is the link to the Event's Webpage: 

http://events.asucollegeoflaw.com/trends-in-indian-gaming/


                       Welcome
                       David Bean, NIGA Vice President and Puyallup Tribal           Councilman

Views from the Room Where It Happens: Casino General Managers Share Insights on Current Trends.
Moderated by ASU Law Professor Larry Roberts
Peter Arceo, San Manuel Casino General Manager
Lousie Cornelius, Oneida Nation Casino General Manager
Kara Fox, Ilani General Manager
Mary Ketterling, General Manager, We·Ko·Pa Casino Resort

It’s a New Day: Indian Gaming, the Biden Administration and the 117th Congress.
Moderated by ASU Law Professor Stacy Leeds
Danielle Her Many Horses, General Counsel, National Indian Gaming Association
Michael Hoenig, General Counsel, National Indian Gaming Commission
TBD, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior (invited) 


Welcome
Rebecca Crooks-Stratton, NCAI Midwest Regional Vice President and Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Secretary/ Treasurer

Evolving Gaming Compacts: Tribal and State Approaches As Online Gaming and Sports Betting Become More Common.
Moderated by ASU Law Professor Larry Roberts
Glenn Feldman, Of Counsel, Procopio
Anni Foster, General Counsel to Arizona Governor Ducey
Stephen Greetham, Senior Counsel, Chickasaw Nation
Paula Hart, Director of the Office of Indian Gaming, Department of the Interior

Register once and attend all/any of the sessions.
Conference and CLE materials will be available by electronic download

For further information or questions, please contact Theresa Beaulieu via email to: 

Trends in Indian Gaming

Alaska Regional COVID-19 Convening

Funding Year (FY) 2021 Application Filing Window

 opened on January 15, 2021 and will close on March 25, 2021. February 25, 2021 is the latest date that you can certify an FCC Form 470 for FY2021 and still have time to wait the required 28 days and certify your FCC Form 471 before the window closes on March 25 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. 
Join us on February 9, 2021 and March 9, 2021 for a two-part webinar series for Tribal applicants to walk through the FCC Form 470 and FCC Form 471. Each event will include a question and answer session with E-rate Program staff.

Throughout the FY2021 filing window, USAC will conduct additional webinars to help participants file their applications. Information on upcoming events is provided below in the more resources section.

All sessions will be recorded and closed to the press. No cost is associated with attendance at this virtual series or any USAC E-rate training. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about the event. Session 1: FCC Form 470 Walkthrough Demo



Join us for the first webinar in the series designed to walk applicants through the steps for filing an FY2021 FCC Form 470. The webinar will include a step-by-step demonstration of filing the form and will be followed by a Q&A session.

Recommended for: Tribal E-rate Applicants

To prepare for the webinar, we recommend that you review the 

Review the steps in the application process:

Follow the step-by-step guides offered in the 

instructional video series for FCC Form 470

 to the weekly Schools and Libraries (E-rate) Program News Brief. It provides tips to help you through the application process and other timely information. 

Join us for the second webinar in the series designed to walk applicants through an FY2020 FCC Form 471. It will include a step-by-step demonstration of filing the form and a Q&A session.

instructional video series for FCC Form 471

During the FY2021 application filing window, USAC will conduct a series of office hour webinars that will focus on E-rate topics related to FCC Forms 470 and 471.


Below is the schedule of webinars for January and February showing the topic, the time, the recommended audience, the recommended E-rate experience level, and the specific materials that attendees should review in advance of the webinar. Note that two different Eligible Services webinars, one for advanced users and one for beginners, are being held on the same day.

USAC offers more resources to help you navigate through the application process. The full list of recordings for this year’s E-rate fall training series is available on the 

. Below is a selected list of relevant webinars.

 Join us for a walkthrough of the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC), the account and application management portal for the E-rate Program.

 During this webinar, we discuss the E-rate Pre-Commitment Process (getting started, competitive bidding, applying for discounts, and Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) review).

 During this webinar, we discuss C2 budgets. We provide an overview of C2 budgets and C2 budget guidance for FY2021.

 During this webinar, we discuss the E-rate Post-Commitment Process and other post-commitment activities, including starting services, the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), service substitutions, appeals, and more.

Post-Training FAQ Session for Tribal Applicants:

 During this session, USAC answered the questions and concerns generated from the nine-part E-rate Training Series.

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