This September, ANJC held its second Alaska Tribal Child Welfare and Tribal Justice Conference, an annual opportunity for Tribal ICWA workers and others to connect, learn, and draw inspiration from one another and from conference speakers. This year, just over 100 individuals attended the three-day conference, which was held at the Marriott Anchorage Downtown.
In his welcoming address on day one, ANJC COO Alex Cleghorn emphasized this year’s conference theme, “Strengthening Our Roots, Honoring Our Children: Implementing Culturally Responsive Practices for Tribal Justice and Tribal Child Welfare.” He stressed the connection between Alaska Native cultures and the well-being of the state’s children and their communities.
ANJC represents and advises Alaska Tribes in State Child of Need Aid (“CINA”) cases where the Indian Child Welfare Act (“ICWA”) applies. The annual conference broadens ANJC’s support of Alaska Tribes and their caseworkers by providing an opportunity for ICWA workers from all over the state to gain knowledge and share experiences.
Highlights of the conference included a conversation with Chief Judge Abby Abinanti; a talk on re-centering Indigenous relational knowledge given by Dr. Jessica Ullrich of Washington State University; a session on addressing disparities in Tribal child welfare, presented by Valerie Davidson; and a talk given by Cleghorn exploring the changes brought about by the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.
ANJC staff led and representatives from partner organizations led workshops each afternoon, and staff from Cook Inlet Tribal Council’s Recovery and Reentry department held a panel on strategies for supporting parents in recovery. CITC President and CEO Gloria O’Neill offered opening remarks on day one of the conference.
This conference is open to Tribal ICWA workers and Tribal representatives across the state. Next year’s conference will be announced at anjc.org, or you can follow ANJC on Facebook to learn more about future events.
