Honoring Native parenting traditions
Positive Indigenous Parenting is a culturally rooted curriculum from the National Indian Child Welfare Association. It celebrates parenting the Native way—honoring the strengths, stories, and values that have shaped our communities for generations.
Built on the wisdom of Tribal elders, Native parents, and child welfare experts, it blends traditional teachings with today’s realities. Storytelling, praise, reflection, and harmony guide families in reclaiming their role as the first and most important teachers in a child’s life.
Who is this training for?
Positive Indigenous Parenting is for American Indian and Alaska Native parents and families, relative caregivers, foster parents, and anyone helping children thrive.
Lessons
Through eight practical, culturally specific lessons, this training shares traditional Native parenting values and shows how to apply them in today’s world.
- Traditional parenting
- Lessons of the storyteller
- Lessons of the cradleboard
- Harmony in child rearing
- Traditional behavior management
- Lessons of Mother Nature
- Praise in traditional parenting
- Choices in parenting
Let’s begin this journey with open hearts, ready to learn from the past, and plant seeds for the future.
Video team and acknowledgement
This video has been produced by the Alaska Center for Resource Families with support from the Alaska Children’s Trust. Video support and production by Northwest Resource Associates Creative Services and Mountain Mind Media.
Special thanks to:
Copper River Native Association
Ahtna Athabascan Community
Kenaitze Indian Tribe
Lesson facilitators: Michelle LeBlanc, Sydney Abplanalp, Lenora Walker, Vanessa George, Lu Dennis, and Jodi Von Brandt
Music: Mark Johns
This training is based on Positive Indian Parenting, a curriculum developed by the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) “Honoring Our Children by Honoring Our Tradition,” 1st ed. Portland, OR: National Indian Child Welfare Association, 1986, All rights reserved.
