2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting Session: Culturally Competent Approaches to Working Together: State and Tribal Relations

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) conducted the 2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting from September 20 - 24, 2021. During this Day 2 plenary session, members of several Tribes from ACF Region IX shared a series of presentations to educate participants on their distinct cultures, histories, and worldviews. These presentations encouraged service providers to understand the complexity of experiences held by diverse Native communities and to encourage the development of a racial-equity lens within their work. This plenary served as a starting point for informing how State and Federal partners can more meaningfully and respectfully interact with members of American Indian/Alaska Native communities, families, and TANF/NEW programs. It also served as a model that Tribes and States can implement in their own regions to learn and inform a more racially equitable approach to partnership, engagement, and awareness. While this plenary highlighted several experiences held by Native individuals, it is not meant to represent all Native communities and voices. (From Racial Equity and TANF Programs Track)