Webinar Series
We Are Still Here offers regular webinars for the early childhood policy advocacy community that center history, research, policy, and more—all with the purpose of helping us see the way past and present policy decisions intersect with native culture and sovereignty.
Upcoming Native Project Webinars:
Wednesday, May 27: Communication and Collaboration: Cross-Cultural Communication, Protocol, and Consensus-Building, Register Now
Wednesday, June 24: Moving from Ally to Accomplice: Supporting Native-led Priorities and Decolonizing Advocacy,
Wednesday, July 22: Applying Learning to Practice: Reflection, Case Studies, and Action Planning,
Latest Native Project Webinars:
Contemporary Native Realities – Urban Experiences, Program Gaps, and Community Strengths.
03/25/2026 —The majority of Native people now live in urban areas, yet systems often continue to center reservation-based narratives. This webinar explored the legacy of federal relocation policies, the increase in the Urban Native population, the rise of Urban Indian Organizations, gaps in funding and service eligibility – particularly in early childhood – and the strengths of intertribal networks that sustain culture and kinship across cities.
The Deliberate Breakdown of Indigenous Families: Policies, Impacts, and Pathways to Repair
02/25/2026 —In this latest installment of our Native learning webinar series, we moved beyond broad discussions of “colonization” to examine specific policies designed to break apart Native families—and their direct connections to contemporary early childhood, child welfare, and family services.
We also explored the deliberate rebuild—how Native communities are revitalizing ceremonies, reclaiming parenting practices, and shifting toward healing-centered engagement.
Native Early Childhood Frameworks: Traditional Child-Rearing Practices, Kinship Systems, and Community Care
01/28/2026 — Learn more about how Native communities have always understood childhood—as inherently relational, community-centered, and rooted in place. We explore kinship systems where children are raised by many, the connection between land and early learning, and contemporary examples of cultural transmission and community-driven care models.
Native Communities Learning Project Launch: Honoring Sovereignty—Understanding the Roots of Relationship
12/1/2025 — This foundational session explores the historical and legal foundations of Tribal sovereignty, helping participants understand Native Nations as distinct governments. Through storytelling and reflection, we examine how federal Indian policy, the boarding school legacy, and systemic inequities continue to shape Native families and early childhood systems today.
Indian Health 101: Protecting the Health of Native Mothers, Babies, and Families
6/12/2025 — An overview of the Indian health system, with a focus on how federal Indian law, tribal sovereignty, and the government’s trust responsibility shape access to care for Native mothers, infants, and young children.