Native American Training Institute

Relatives!
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Monday check-in before you warm up leftovers you hid in the back of the fridge.
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Four prairie dogs are already standing watch, keeping an eye on the week ahead.
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At NATI, we're all over the Peace Garden state thinking about the people behind the paperwork, the stories behind the programs, and the communities that hold us together.
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Wherever this Monday finds you, we hope you carry a little strength, a little patience, and a reminder that you're not dancing around the arena alone.
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RELATIVES!
✨ Circle of Nations / Wahpeton Indian School sent two Incredible Indigenous women on a community building trip through Bismarck. They stopped in and dropped off the flyers you see here.
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We know the school well, so it is always good to visit with folks who take the time to show up and connect in person.
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We went old school and wrote down a couple stops for them. Sacred Pipe Resource Center. Native, Inc. Community Development Corporation.
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Then after they left we realized we missed one.
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If you are still in town, make sure to stop by Sage Coulee up in north Bismarck.
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Relatives, hair braiding has long held cultural and spiritual significance, carrying identity, family, and connection.
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On June 17, Sacred Pipe Resource Center is hosting a Hair Braiding event as part of their June Art series.
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The night will include braiding contests, recognition of skill and creativity, and space to share both traditional and contemporary styles.
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In child welfare work, including ICWA, these connections matter. Keeping culture present in a child’s life is part of how identity and family ties are protected.
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This event creates space to see that knowledge, practice it, and keep it moving forward in community.

Thickest and hard luck braid contests are for adults (18+) only. Other contests are open to all ages.

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If you have ever said, “I should really take this training,” this is the moment to act. Registration for the ICWA Qualified Expert Witness Training ends May 15. That's 9 days away.
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Three days of focused learning in Bismarck
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The Path Behind Us. The Road Ahead.

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Three days. One conference. In the lands where the NuÉta, Hidatsa, and Sahnish Nations have always known what family means.

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This morning Devon Headdress stood up and continued his story from last year's conference. Elder relatives, his wife and baby son were there. He used to work here at NATI as an ICWA Family Preservationist. Now he's standing in front of the room telling people what it means to do this work. What it costs. What it heals.

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We had presenters come from all over. They brought what they know. They brought what they've seen work. They brought the old ways mixed in with what we need right now.

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Every person at the conference showed up for Native kids who need us to show up. That's the work. That's all of it.

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Twenty-five years of this conference. Twenty-five years of people choosing to gather and choose this work again. The road ahead is still long. We know that.

But we're walking it together.

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Thank you for being here to make space for the 25 years behind us and push a path forward into the next 25 years