Larry Roberts, the acting Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. Photo from Indian Affairs / Twitter
The Bureau of Indian Affairs will be holding a series of training sessions for a new rule that seeks to strengthen the Indian Child Welfare Act. The sessions begin August 15 and run through November 17. Some are webinars but the majority are in-person sessions held in various regions of Indian Country. "Together, we can ensure that the new regulations fully benefit all Indian children, their parents and their tribes and tribal communities," Larry Roberts, the leader of the BIA, said in a July 13 letter. A notice of the sessions was also published in the Federal Register on Thursday. The new rule takes effect December 12. It requires state court systems and state welfare agencies to determine whether a child is Indian and whether ICWA applies to their proceedings. The trainings are open to tribal and state agencies. The schedule follows:
• August 15 - WebinarFederal Register Notice:
• August 16 - Webinar
• August 18 - St. Paul, Minnesota
• August 24 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• September 7 - Sacramento, California
• September 15 - Albany, New York
• September 22 - Pierre, South Dakota
• October 5 - Anchorage, Alaska
• October 19 - Olympia, Washington
• November 2 - Phoenix, Arizona
• November 15 - Webinar
• November 17 - Webinar
Indian Child Welfare Act Proceedings (July 21, 2016) Relevant Documents:
Final Rule: Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Proceedings | Final Rule: Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Frequently Asked Questions | Dear Tribal Leader Letter | Dear State Governor Letter Federal Register Notices for Indian Child Welfare Act Rule:
Indian Child Welfare Act Proceedings (June 14, 2016)
Regulations for State Courts and Agencies in Indian Child Custody Proceedings (March 30, 2015)
Guidelines for State Courts and Agencies in Indian Child Custody Proceedings (February 25, 2015)
Join the Conversation
Related Stories
California
remains a battleground for Indian Child Welfare Act (7/21) Bill John Baker: Cherokee Nation in need of more foster families (06/21)
Final rule for Indian Child Welfare Act takes effect December 12 (06/15)
Final Indian Child Welfare Act rule goes into effect this December (6/9)
Bureau of Indian Affairs set to finalize Indian Child Welfare Act rule (6/8)
Judge in South Dakota sanctioned in Indian Child Welfare Act case (04/18)
Conservative groups try to strike down Indian Child Welfare Act (04/08)
Justice Department official warns of Indian Child Welfare Act fight (04/05)
Bureau of Indian Affairs in final push as Obama era nears its end (03/01)
Native Sun News: State of South Dakota fails to stall Indian Child Welfare Act lawsuit (02/26)
Updates from National Congress of American Indians winter session in D.C. (02/23)
Bill John Baker: The Indian Child Welfare Act remains under attack (01/06)
Bill John Baker: Cherokee Nation children deserve loving homes (12/03)
Tom Cole and Betty McCollum: Doing what's best for Indian children (12/01)
Disenrollment from Pala Band affects children in ICWA case (11/12)
South Dakota court rebukes judge at center of ICWA dispute (11/11)
South Dakota agency sued for bias against Native applicants (11/03)
