Following our examination of policies that deliberately disrupted Indigenous families, this session turns to the present: how Native families navigate early childhood systems today—and how geography, funding structures, and data practices shape access to support.
The majority of Native people now live in urban areas, yet systems often continue to center reservation-based narratives. We will explore the legacy of federal relocation policies, the rise of Urban Indian Organizations, gaps in funding and service eligibility, and the strengths of intertribal networks that sustain culture and kinship across cities. We will also examine how Tribal programs operate within complex federal and state systems—and the structural barriers that persist.
Join us for Contemporary Native Realities: Urban Experiences, Program Gaps, and Community Strengths on Wednesday, March 25, 12:00 PM PT /3:00 PM ET.
Participants will deepen their understanding of how sovereignty, identity, and service delivery intersect in contemporary contexts. Together, we will consider how early childhood systems can better recognize Urban Native families, strengthen partnerships with Tribal and Urban Native organizations, and align practice with lived realities.
This webinar is the fourth session in our 8-part series offered through the Alliance’s Native Communities Learning Project: We Are Still Here.
You can also watch the recordings of previous webinars in the series:
Webinar #1: Honoring Sovereignty: Understanding the Roots of Relationship
Webinar #2: Native Early Childhood Frameworks: Traditional Child-Rearing Practices, Kinship Systems, and Community Care
Webinar #3: Deliberate Breakdown of Indigenous Families: Policies, Impacts, and Pathways to Repair
And save the date for upcoming webinars in the series! (All webinars start at 3pm ET/12pm PT):
Wednesday, April 29: Cultural Humility and Power Dynamics: Reflection on Bias, Humility Practices, and Shared Leadership
Wednesday, May 27: Communication and Collaboration: Cross-Cultural Communication, Protocol, and Consensus-Building
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