Advocacy in Action: The Origins of ECWS

In this episode of The Sentinel, we journey back in time to trace the origins of the Executive Council Winter Session (ECWS), one of NCAI's three annual conferences. This policy-focused gathering of Tribal leaders happens at the start of each year and has its roots in the 1950s, during an era when Tribal Nations were fighting against the forces of Termination and threats to self-determination and self-governance. This episode provides insight into the issues that were discussed and resolved at the original meeting, and how many of them still ring true today.    In the second half of this episode, we focus on the State of Indian Nations address, now an annual speech given by the NCAI President during ECWS. We will explore why leaders felt it was imperative that the NCAI President address the nation, just as the U.S. President offers an annual State of the Union address. Sentinel listeners will hear some key highlights and quotes from the first address in 2003, making it clear that many of the same challenges that Tribal Nations faced then have yet to be resolved.