Tribal State Collaboration Group
TSCG
About
Tribal State Collaboration Group (TSCG) is a partnership of representatives from Tribes, Alaska Native community partners and the Office of Children's Services, who meet to collaborate on issues pertaining to Alaska Native or American Indian families and youth. The focus of this group is to strengthen ICWA compliance, promote healthy racial and ethnic identity, and develop strong working relationships.
ICWA in Alaska
Protecting Our Children and Our Future
"When we embrace the values and the spirit of ICWA, it's sending a clear message to the Alaska native people and American Indian people that we value their thoughts, their feelings, their spirituality, their cultures, their ceremonies, their language, their art, and all of those things matter."
Guiding Principles
As we work together, we should all keep in mind the guiding principles that we have identified and agreed to as part of our larger Tribal State Collaboration work. Those principles are:
Mutual Respect
Equality of participation
At least one Tribal partner must be involved in all discussions
Workgroup leads must share all relevant information with all members
Open and honest communication
Feel free to express disagreement
Express disagreement in a respectful manner
Consistent participation — a commitment to continue through the process
Willingness to think in new ways
Recognition and acknowledgements of commonalities
Consensus in decisions
Shared decision-making
Flexibility
Accommodation of individual differences
Remember we work across cultures
Be sensitive to different thinking processes
Be aware of differences in what constitutes politeness and social norms
Remember — not everyone understands the acronyms — don't assume
Inclusion
Each workgroup should commit to these principles in the spirit of partnership, as we build this system together.
"Authentic partnerships unite organizations that have a common identity in worldview and values, a common sense of mission, a strong desire to work together in a mutually supportive and respectful relationship, a focus on achievements, and a willingness to change and grow as circumstances around them change".
- Roland Hoksbergen (2002)