THE OTHER SIDE OF ICWA:
A CULTURAL JOURNEY TO FAIRNESS & EQUITY
- TRAINER’S GUIDE -
LESSON PLAN
DAY 1
Topic/Time
Learning Objective
Day 1, Segment 1
30 min
9:00 – 9:30am
K2. The trainee will be able
to describe elements of
culturally sensitive
communication and
engagement techniques.
Welcome, Overview,
Introductions
Methodology
Introduction of course goals
and objectives
Establish credibility of
training and trainer (15 min.)
V2. The trainee will be aware Activity 1A: 15 min.
of how their personal values Culturally competent
and bias may affect
introductions
communication and
 Ask for volunteers (2) to
engagement efforts.
introduce themselves
 Model an introduction in a
tribal way
 Ask volunteers to introduce
themselves in this way
Icebreaker activity
PowerPoint slides: 1-3
Day 1, Segment 2
35 min
9:30 – 10:05am
The Hidden Building
Blocks: Historical
Trauma and Cumulative
Collective Trauma
K1. The trainee will
understand the long-term
impact of historical trauma
and cumulative collective
trauma on the culture of
Native American youth and
families.
V1. The trainee will value
the significance of historical,
cumulative, and collective
The Other Side of ICWA | Trainer’s Guide
Version 2.0, May 2011
Activity 2A: 15 min.
Description:
Trainers give an example of
trauma they have
experienced in their families.
Ideally, tribal and non-tribal
training team. Trainers
should then express their
feelings about these
experiences and impact.
Then they can tie to the tribal
1
trauma to the diverse cultures
of children, youth, and
families he/she serves in
CWS.
V4. The trainee understands
the importance of cultural
influences on behavior and
family dynamics in
identifying appropriate
resources.
experience of historical
trauma and effects today.
Activity 3B: 20 min.
Description: Table groups
responding to 3 questions
prepared by trainer:
 What are your personal
experiences with hist. &
cumulative trauma?
 What are triggers today?
 How does this impact the
well-being of your family
members?
Closure: Tie to current
conditions for many tribal
people
PowerPoint slides: 4-6
Day 1, Segment 3
30 min
10:05 – 10:35am
The Other Side of
History
K1. The trainee will
understand the long term
impact of historical trauma
and cumulative collective
trauma on the culture of
Native American youth and
families.
Activity 3A: 15 min.
Description: Lecturette
describing the significant
historic eras and the
difference between
traditional Indian values and
all-American values.
 refer to poster outlining
V1. The trainee will value the
historical eras moving
significance of historical,
around the room pointing
cumulative, and collective
out eras.
trauma to the diverse cultures  Ask question after each era
of children, youth, and
and facilitate brief
families he/she serves in
discussion:
CWS.
 Pre-Reservation Era
1789-1871
 Reservation Era 18711928
 Indian Adoption Era
1950’s – 70’s
 ICWA 1978
 ASFA 1997
The Other Side of ICWA | Trainer’s Guide
Version 2.0, May 2011
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PowerPoint slides: 7-13
VIDEO: 500 Nations
excerpt
15 min
10:35 – 10:50am
Day 1, Segment 4
30 min
10:50 – 11:20
Tribal Structure
Activity 3B: 15 min.
Description: Show video
excerpt from 500 Nations
and lead discussion following
Ask:
 have elements of these eras
survived today?
 How does this know-ledge
impact your thinking about
your practice?

PowerPoint slides: 14-15
BREAK
K3. The trainee will
understand the components
of culturally appropriate
methods to help identify if a
child/youth is, or may be,
tribal.
Activity 4A: 15 min.
Lecturette to promote
understanding of how
symbolism, relating to
identity, occurs in a tribal
context.
 Clan
V1. The trainee will value the  Moiety
significance of historical,
 Member
cumulative, and collective
trauma to the diverse cultures Handout:
of children, youth, and
Clan animal attributes
families he/she serves in
 What is family?
CWS.
 What is important to Indian
family?
V2. The trainee will be aware
of how their personal values
Activity 4B: 15 min.
and bias may affect
Description:
communication and
Explore personal concepts of
engagement efforts.
family and compare with
Indian concepts
V3. The trainee will respect
 Break into table groups
the relevance of culture,
with use of blank family
diversely expressed in family
trees for them to complete
values and existing support
asking, “who do you
systems, in working with
consider family?”
children, youth, families and  Trainer will then illustrate
care givers in the CWS.
the Indian concept of
The Other Side of ICWA | Trainer’s Guide
Version 2.0, May 2011
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family to include
community and all of
humanity
PowerPoint slides: 16-21
Day 1, Segment 5
40 min
11:20 – 12:00
From Outsider to Insider
K2. The trainee will be able
to describe elements of
culturally sensitive
communication and
engagement techniques.
Activity 5A
Description: Trust
discussion and brainstorm.
Large group facilitated
discussion: a bridge from
history and family to begin to
V2. The trainee will be aware discuss communication.
of how their personal values
Trainer asks:
and bias may affect
 How do we know if we can
communication and
trust someone?
engagement efforts.
 What characteristics
support trusting someone?
 How do we deal with a
dispute with a friend or
partner?
 How can a SW convey they
are trustworthy?
Closure: discuss the
significance of trust
PowerPoint slides: 22-23
PowerPoint slides: 24-25
1 hour
12:00 –1:00
Day 1, Segment 6
50 min.
1:00 – 1:50
What Insiders Say
The Art of Visiting and
Partnership Building
LUNCH
K2. The trainee will be able
to describe elements of
culturally sensitive
communication and
engagement techniques.
Explain title of this segment
Activity 6A: 20 min.
Description: Digital Stories
(select one) to show and then
lead Facilitated discussion:
V2. The trainee will be aware  How & why did youth
of how their personal values
come to trust his/her SW?
and bias may affect
 What are some other ways
communication and
to strengthen trust when
The Other Side of ICWA | Trainer’s Guide
Version 2.0, May 2011
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Visiting: A Sharing Time
with Families and Youth
Establishing Trustworthiness &
Engagement
engagement efforts.

V3. The trainee will respect
the relevance of culture,
diversely expressed in family
values and existing support
systems, in working with
children, youth, families and
care givers in the CWS.
K2. The trainee will be able
to describe elements of
culturally sensitive
communication and
engagement techniques
K3. The trainee will
understand the components
of culturally appropriate
methods to help identify if a
child/youth is, or may be,
tribal.
Day 1, Segment 7
30 min.
1:50 –2:20
Finding the Unseen
Youth
K3. The trainee will
understand the components
of culturally appropriate
methods to help identify if a
child/youth is, or may be,
tribal.
V3. The trainee will respect
the relevance of culture,
diversely expressed in family
values and existing support
systems, in working with
children, youth, families and
care givers in the CWS.

working with tribal youth?
Focus on first family visit
Importance of establishing
trust now
Handouts
Activity 6B: 30 min.
Lecturette of trust and goals
at first visit:
 Observe & listen
 Learn degree of tribal
identification
 Assessment of how
traditional are family’s
values, and living situation.
o Traditional
o Assimilated
o Acculturated
PowerPoint slides: 26-29
Activity 6C (optional):
Digital Stories, Part 2
Activity 7A: 30 min.
Lecturette: Variability of
definition of family for youth
depending on their
interaction with ex-tended
family, clan, moiety, or other
clan affiliation
 Difficulties in identification
 Reframing questions
 Communication strategies
 Suggested questions
 Settings
 Practice suggestions
 Differences between
traditional, assimilated and
acculturated
PowerPoint slides: 30-31
15 min
BREAK
The Other Side of ICWA | Trainer’s Guide
Version 2.0, May 2011
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2:20 – 2:35pm
Day 1, Segment 8
30 min.
2:35 – 3:05pm
K2. The trainee will be able
to describe elements of
culturally sensitive
communication and
engagement techniques.
How Do I Do That?
S1. Given a case scenario,
the trainee will demonstrate
the use of culturally sensitive
communication and
engagement techniques.
S2. Given a case scenario,
the trainee will be able to
assess cultural influences on
behavior and family
dynamics to identify if a
youth is, or may be, tribal.
S3. Given a case scenario,
the trainee will be able to
assess the youth/family view
of need.
NOTE: 5-minute review
before going to activity
Activity 8A: 30 min.
Description: Application of
the Naturalistic Inquiry
 Small group exercise
 Each group tackles 1 of 4
areas developing 3
questions for each area(on
slides)
 Then give groups a vignette
and have them apply
(Sheila or Joseph) 3
questions to the vignette
 Each group has a reporter
and they share with the
large group what went well,
what was unexpected?
PowerPoint slides: 32-33
V3. The trainee will respect
the relevance of culture,
diversely expressed in family
values and existing support
systems, in working with
children, youth, families, and
care givers in the CWS.
Day 1, Segment 9
15 min.
3:05 – 3:20pm
K4. The trainee will be able
to identify needs from the
youth/family perspective to
develop appropriate and
accessible resources.
Uncovering the Hidden
Resources
Availability of Culturally
Appropriate Services
V4. The trainee understands
the importance of cultural
influences on behavior and
family dynamics in
identifying appropriate
The Other Side of ICWA | Trainer’s Guide
Version 2.0, May 2011
Activity 9A:
Lecturette and facilitated
discussion.
Elements for appropriate and
available resource
identification.
 Guiding principle of youth
and family leading
identification of their needs
 How they perceive change
 Their support system
6
resources.

Resources and systems they
trust
Handout: Tribal Star list
Importance of SW being an
agent for change
PowerPoint slides: 34-35
Day 1, Segment 10
40 min.
3:20 – 4:00
Activity 13
Description: Summing up
day by asking class to come
up with 3 major lessons
learned today. Do by tables
and have them report out
Evaluation and Closing
Close day with Tribally
appropriate closure.
Allow 15 minutes for
evaluation.
PowerPoint slide: 36
The Other Side of ICWA | Trainer’s Guide
Version 2.0, May 2011
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