The National Indian Child Welfare Association’s (NICWA) efforts to protect children from abuse and neglect received a boost of $1,000 from the Oneida Indian Nation Foundation via a recent grant.

The Foundation contributed that amount in sponsorship of the NICWA’s annual “Protecting Our Children” National American Indian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect. Last year, that conference hosted more than 700 participants representing Indian communities from throughout the United States and Canada and presented 60 workshops. Participants focused on the future of Indian child welfare and how Indian communities share the responsibility of looking out for their children, NICWA said. Support to this conference helps “empower tribal communities’ efforts to effectively serve their children and families, and ensure that all tribal children have safe, permanent homes,” according to the organization’s Executive Director, Terri L. Cross (Seneca).

American Indian causes such as this are among the many dozens of organizations and initiatives supported in a typical year, noted Chuck Fougnier, Wolf Clan representative to the Oneida Nation Council and chairman of the Oneida Nation Foundation.