Crystal talks with three individuals who serve on the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) Larry Curley, Navajo Nation, executive director of NICOA, Desiree Lapahie, Navajo Nation, data analyst of the NICOA and Rebecca Owl Morgan, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, project coordinator at the NICOA.  They discuss updates to the Toolkit "Understanding Disabilities in American Indian & Alaska Native Communities".

In Episode 9, hosts Crystal and Shauna are joined by special guest Kodey Toney. Kodey is the director of the Pervasive Parenting Resource Center C.P.R.C., but most importantly he is a father and husband. He and his wife Jennifer have two sons, Konner and Kruz. Konner’s diagnosis of autism at the age of three has sparked him to create a resource center to help families in eastern Oklahoma cope with disabilities. In 2015, Toney received the TARC Parent Advocate of the Year award for the state of Oklahoma. He was also named the 2019 Oklahoma Advocate of the Year for Partners in Policymaking, and the 2019 Community Health Champion for the state of Oklahoma. He sits on more than 20 boards and committees and serves as a voice for fathers and rural communities. You can check out Pervasive Parenting’s website by clicking here: Pervasive Parenting WebsiteFor a full list of resources please visit: The Black Feathers Podcast

Crystal and Shauna are joined by special guest Joshua Drywater. Joshua is the Program Manager for Native Initiatives at the University of Arizona’s Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities. He and his team support people overcoming barriers to employment through initiatives such as the Finds Their Way Project. The Finds Their Way Project supports Native youth with disabilities in developing knowledge to participate in competitive, integrated employment.For a full list of resources please visit: The Black Feathers Podcast 

In episode 7, hosts Crystal and Shauna are joined by Dr. Misty Boyd and Dr. Shannon Dial. Dr. Dial received her PhD in 2014 and shortly after began her work for the Chickasaw Nation. Shannon has been with the tribe for eight years and currently works as the Executive Officer of the Integrated Services Division in the Department of Family Services. Because April is Autism Acceptance Month, they hope this episode will help raise awareness about the need for early childhood autism screening services, the importance of community and family voices, and they discuss the hurdles in setting up autism amenities in rural Tribal areas. For a full list of resources please visit: The Black Feathers Podcast 

Crystal and Shauna investigate the partnerships across the U.S. between state Councils on Developmental Disabilities and Tribal Nations. They were joined by joined by Sarah Young Bear-Brown a member of the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa - the Meskwaki Nation, Dr. Cheryl Funmaker and Kody Funmaker from the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin. Darold H. Joseph, Ph.D. of Paa-Is-wung-wa (Water Coyote Clan) from the Hopi Village of Lower Moenkopi.