Guest: Judge Rebekka Stumme

Guest Host: Sheldon Spotted Elk (Northern Cheyenne)

This podcast episode features Judge Rebekka Stumme of the Carlton County Courthouse Sixth Judicial District of Minnesota and is facilitated by guest host Sheldon Spotted Elk, Senior Director of Judicial and National Engagement at Casey Family Programs. Judge Stumme has served on the bench for five years and presides over two ICWA court dockets.

In this episode, Judge Stumme explores her professional background in Indian Child Welfare courts, crediting her early experience to her mentor, the late Judge Sally Tarnowski. She shares the physical attributes of the courtroom over which she presides that serves Native families in juvenile, criminal, and drug treatment proceedings and how courtroom spaces can pay respect to Native cultures. Further, she recounts the first steps and early engagement with community partners that led to the eventual establishment of the ICWA court. This episode includes successes, as well as challenges, and lessons learned along the way and explores post-COVID changes to court proceedings.

The Children's Bureau, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, funds the Capacity Building Center for Tribes. The contents of this podcast episode and the resources herein do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Children's Bureau.

Full Transcript: http://tribalinformationexchange.org/files/products/centerfortribespodcasttranscriptjudgestumme.docx

Guest: Judge Kevin Gray

This podcast episode features Judge Kevin Gray (he/him). Throughout his career, Judge Gray worked in the non-profit sector, in construction, and on campaigns before joining the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office in 2011. Judge Gray worked there for 11 years before being elected District Judge in 2022.

At the time of this podcast recording, Tulsa County operates the only Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Court in Oklahoma, a state with 38 federally recognized tribes. Under the leadership of the Honorable Kevin Gray, the Tulsa County ICWA Court has sought better outcomes through cultural connections and family preservation and serves as the model ICWA Court for other jurisdictions in Oklahoma and across the nation.

The Children's Bureau, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, funds the Capacity Building Center for Tribes. The contents of this website and the resources herein do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Children's Bureau.

Full transcript: https://bit.ly/3AedFhD

Guest: Sheldon Spotted Elk (Northern Cheyenne)

This podcast episode features Sheldon Spotted Elk (he/him). Sheldon is Senior Director of Judicial and National Engagement of Casey Family Programs. Sheldon is also a graduate of University of New Mexico School of Law. Sheldon Spotted Elk is an agent of change, improving legal outcomes for children and families involved in the child welfare system. He works regularly as a strategic partner with over twenty Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Courts. He and his two sons are Tsistsas (Northern Cheyenne).

In this episode, Sheldon describes ICWA courts, their purpose, and how they impact tribal systems and families. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of the five principles of ICWA Courts: judicial leadership; ICWA data collection; ICWA training (spirit and letter of law); tribal stakeholder collaboration; and gold standard lawyering and social work.

The Children's Bureau, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, funds the Capacity Building Center for Tribes. The contents of this podcast and the resources herein do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Children's Bureau.

Full transcript: https://bit.ly/4drvqIO

Still curious about each episode? Listen to our trailer for Season 1 - Reclaiming the Child Welfare Narrative with clips from:

1 - Jackie Crow Shoe (enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa)

2 - Lauren van Schilfgaarde (Cochiti Pueblo), UCLA Law

3 - Brett Lee Shelton (Oglala Sioux Tribe), Native American Rights Fund

4 - James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa)

5 - Ethleen Iron Cloud-Two Dogs (Oglala Sioux Tribe)

6 - Chief Judge Abby Abinanti (Yurok Tribe)

7 - Brett Lee Shelton (Oglala Sioux Tribe), Native American Rights Fund

Singing credit: Jackie Crow Shoe

Guest: Brett Lee Shelton (Oglala Sioux Tribe), Native American Rights Fund

This episode explores restoring sustainable peacemaking practices. Learn from Brett Lee Shelton about how this community-based cultural practice is evolving across Indian Country to resolve conflicts and improve outcomes for children in a healthy way.

Guest: Chief Judge Abby Abinanti (Yurok Tribe)

This episode takes us to Northern California with the Yurok Tribe to learn how they established a justice system reflective of their culture. A visionary in Indian Country, “Judge Abby” Abinanti talks about changing the child welfare profession and courts to serve as part of the community’s extended family, joining the Yurok Tribe on a path to wellness.

Guest: Ethleen Iron Cloud-Two Dogs (Oglala Sioux Tribe)

Learn from respected Elder, Ethleen Iron Cloud-Two Dogs, as she shares her insight on shifting not only the child welfare mindset, but that of the whole community, to see the care and development of children as a sacred and shared responsibility.

Guest: James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa)

Exploring traditional languages can help create solutions rooted in Indigenous perspectives and wisdom. A leading voice on the interconnectedness of language and culture, James Vukelich shares examples from traditional languages that demonstrate how these deep meanings can empower communities to shape their vision for child welfare based on their values.

Guests: Lauren van Schilfgaarde (Cochiti Pueblo), UCLA Law, and Brett Lee Shelton (Oglala Sioux Tribe), Native American Rights Fund

Learn how the removal of Native children was a means of colonization and forced assimilation and how the current child welfare structure was developed as a response. Lauren van Shilfgaarde and Brett Lee Shelton discuss how tribal child welfare programs can reclaim their systems to reflect their Indigenous worldviews and their responsibilities to children.