The UMD Summer Institute in American Indian Child Welfare is an annual opportunity for Tribal child welfare workers and administrators to spend three days together developing new practice skills, sharing their collective experiences, and learning with Indian Child Welfare professionals and scholars in a Tribal context. The theme for 2015 was “Honoring our Strength: Building Resilience in Ourselves and Our Communities” and was held on July 20-22, 2015. Each year, a small number of IV-E students from around the state of Minnesota are invited to participate. Below is a brief reflection from one of our MSW IV-E students.
After being selected to attend the 2015 Summer Institute, I was so excited for the opportunity. When the day of the conference came, I really did not know what to expect. Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, I was exposed to little diversity in my education and beyond. Coming to college was my first exposure to different cultures and in depth studies of these differences in the classroom. I was thrilled to be able to continue this knowledge base before starting my MSW program.
The first thing I noticed when the conference began was the extremely welcoming atmosphere. Not once did I feel like I could not ask questions, or that I was being judged for not being as educated about the culture. The openness put me at ease for the rest of the conference. One of the first events scheduled was the sweat lodge ceremony. This turned out to be one of my favorite experiences of the conference. By hearing the stories, songs, and explanations of the event from the elders who were teaching us, it truly allowed me to appreciate the spirituality present in their lives. The care and time that went into preparing for this time was very humbling as well. Not many people put in so much time and energy to prepare for something for strangers to partake in, and the passion behind educating us was quite remarkable. I also found it very interesting that although the guests may have been strangers with one another at the beginning of the experience, we became very close and shared things with one another we may not with some of our closest friends.
The following three days of the conference we heard some absolutely amazing speakers. Jim and Bonnie Clairmont were the first speakers. They spoke a lot about historical trauma of the native population, much of which I had never heard. This has stuck with me when thinking about serving this population. ICWA is such a vital piece of legislation to try to preserve the culture, much of which history attempted to remove. These speakers also spoke a lot about resilience and self-help, all of which will be so important to keep in mind when having a career in social work. Later on that same day, Sandy White Hawk spoke about resilience in a different light. She remarked on why should children have to be resilient? This is a key question that has resonated with me. The children we serve, including the Native American population, shouldn’t have to be resilient, even though so many must be and are. Sandy also shared many of her own personal stories about being an adoptee and the struggles she has faced. These stories helped me see that preserving their customs and traditions should be priority.
The following day we had the privilege of hearing Larry Jourdain speak. He may be the best storyteller I have ever heard. It was amazing to hear about his pride in his lineage and how his culture defines him. He also took a unique approach to explaining the work social workers do in relation to Aboriginal healers. This tie in was so helpful to not only seeing how the tribe operates, but also how to use this to become a better social worker and avoid Ishkidewin (or closing off your heart). Ending this day, we participated in a talking circle. This was a very powerful experience. This allowed everyone to say whatever they needed and leave anything giving them heavy hearts in the circle.
To wrap up the conference we heard a lot about current legislative changes, all very relevant for a career in social work. Hearing the ICWA changes being implemented helped show the importance for change in Minnesota to reduce the disproportionate rates of out of placement for tribal communities. We got to partake in a final debriefing with our group about the experience, a wonderful time to really reflect. Overall, this was a great experience I would recommend to everyone. It gave me greater knowledge about this community and the importance of education on the culture and traditions. I have such a greater appreciation for ICWA and its importance. I am so happy I had this experience and am excited to continue my education on this important subject matter.
This post was written by Rachel Madison, MSW IV-E Student