Centering Indigenous Strength
The ASU Center for Child Well-Being is thrilled to announce that Dr. Alexandria Pech has been awarded the Watts Indigenous Scholarship Seed Grant to lead a vital project focused on Native children and families impacted by parental incarceration.
This funding will support a dedicated effort to center Indigenous voices in conversations that too often overlook the unique experiences of indigenous communities. The project centers on two key events at the upcoming 8th Annual National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference, titled From Separation to Solidarity: Building Community, Healing, and Learning through Struggle. The conference takes place April 20–22, 2026, at SkySong in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The event will kick off with a special pre-conference meeting bringing together Indigenous community members, elders, youth, advocates, and allies. This gathering will create a safe, culturally grounded space to discuss the real challenges Native children and families face when a parent or loved one is incarcerated. From there, they will carry those insights forward into a dedicated conference panel presentation, where they will share what they have heard and propose actionable steps in research, advocacy, and practice.
The project is guided by three clear objectives:
Identify unique barriers that hinder Native children and their families from maintaining family connections when a parent or family member is incarcerated.
Examine tribal social services and understand how, if at all, tribal social services for justice-involved parents include family re-integration across the carceral continuum from arrest through post-release.
Identify existing strengths (i.e., cultural, familial, environmental) within tribal communities that support children navigating parental incarceration.
When asked what she is excited about this project, Dr. Pech shared “What I am most looking forward to is engaging with Indigenous worldviews, values, and priorities with a group of practitioners, researchers, and community cultural connectors who are a family and have welcomed me with open arms as an ally. With 22 Arizona-based Tribal Nations, it is vital to center the needs, experiences, and challenges that Native children face before, during, and after a parent’s incarceration to ensure that their needs are met. Our hope for the convening is to create a framework for sustaining this effort beyond the conference.”
Dr. Pech will be working alongside a dedicated team of community-engaged partners:
Cassandra Peña, MSW, Tribal Program Manager, System Transformation Team, Molina Healthcare of Arizona
Dr. Christopher Sharp, Director & Clinical Assistant Professor, Office of American Indian Projects, ASU School of Social Work
Benny Garcia, MSW Candidate, Tohono O’odham
Isabel Coronado, Consultant with NYU Family-Based Justice Center
Elisia Manuel, Three Precious Miracles
Together, they are committed to elevating Indigenous-led solutions and pushing for change that honors tribal sovereignty, cultural strengths, and healing.
This is just the beginning. The pre-conference and panel will spark broader dialogue and lay groundwork for future advocacy and research.