The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, through Doyuti T’uhkama, recently awarded $750,000 over three years to the California Tribal Families Coalition (CTFC) to expand its legal advocacy and tribal capacity-building efforts supporting Native children, families, and Tribal Nations across California.
According to a press release, the investment will advance CTFC’s work to strengthen tribal authority in child welfare systems, build the next generation of Native legal and social service professionals, and expand prevention-focused approaches that support families and create more stable outcomes for children.
The announcement comes as CTFC and tribes nationwide are set to commemorate ICWA Day, the anniversary of the June 15, 2023, landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act.
“Every child deserves to be safe, supported, and connected to their family and community,” said Anthony Roberts, chairman of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and Chair of Doyuti T’uhkama. “Tribes are best positioned to determine what that care looks like, yet too often lack equitable access to the resources to do so. This investment helps strengthen tribal capacity, expand legal advocacy, and advance prevention eƯorts that keep children where they belong – with their families, communities, and cultures.”
Formed by tribal leaders in 2017, CTFC works in partnership with tribes in California, legislators, and public systems to turn policy recommendations into meaningful systems change. Through coordinated legal advocacy, policy reform, and training, the coalition helps ensure that the rights of tribes, children, and families are protected and upheld, and tribal sovereignty is advanced.
At the heart of this work is a shared understanding that while the challenges facing tribal children and families are complex, the solutions are not out of reach – and are often already being developed by tribal leaders, social workers, child welfare professionals, and attorneys working together across systems.
CTFC supports this work through three interconnected areas of focus:
Legal Advocacy: Providing direct legal representation to tribes in Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) cases and engaging in impact litigation to protect tribal rights.
Training and Workforce Development: OƯering statewide training for attorneys, social workers, and child welfare professionals, while investing in the next generation of Native practitioners.
Policy and Systems Change: Advancing legislative and policy reforms that strengthen ICWA implementation and expand tribal authority in child welfare systems.
This funding will support CTFC’s Legal and Tribal Capacity Building programs, including eƯorts to grow a pipeline of Native attorneys and advocates, expand training for tribal and county partners, and increase access to early legal intervention for tribes.
“Our Coalition of Tribes from across California unifies around issues to build the future our children deserve,” said CTFC Board Chair, Maryann McGovran, who also serves as the Treasurer of the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians. “We extend our deepest appreciation to the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and Doyuti T’uhkama for investing in work that will allow us to continue advocating for youth and families while defending and advancing tribal sovereignty.”
CTFC’s work also responds to the long-standing impacts of policies that separated tribal children from their families and communities. Today, tribal children remain disproportionately represented in child welfare systems, underscoring the need for approaches that center tribal authority, cultural understanding, and community-based solutions.
Much of this work happens behind the scenes – in courtrooms, in training sessions, and in collaboration between tribal and local systems – but its impact is deeply felt in communities across the state. When tribes are engaged early and meaningfully in child welfare cases, outcomes improve, including higher rates of family reunification and stronger long-term stability for children.
Across tribes in California, many Tribal Nations continue to face inequitable access to funding and services, despite being best positioned to support their own communities. Investments like this help address those gaps by strengthening tribal infrastructure, expanding culturally grounded services, and supporting long-term solutions led by tribes themselves.
Through Doyuti T’uhkama – which means “to give the acorn” in the Patwin language – the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation supports organizations and initiatives that create lasting impact across the region and beyond, with a focus on community wellbeing, equity, and opportunity.
For more information, visit yochadehe.gov.