The Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition (ONAC) represents a consortium of Oklahoma tribes and partners interested in establishing asset-building initiatives and programs in Native communities, for the purpose of creating greater opportunities for economic self-sufficiency of tribal citizens.
1. We know that ONAC is a coalition working to build- assets and increase economic self-sufficiency of tribal citizens in Oklahoma. Can you tell us more about your asset-building work?
The Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition (ONAC) represents a consortium of Oklahoma tribes and partners interested in establishing asset-building initiatives and programs in Native communities.
ONAC is working to develop more local and national partnerships; offer mini grants; garner administrative guidance about the use of federal sources of funding for Native asset building programs; provide training and technical assistance for asset building program design and implementation; and generate and gather research and best practices for our constituents so they will continue to build assets in Native communities.
2. What are your current policy priorities?
ONAC constituents are interested in providing asset-building programs to citizens of Oklahoma tribes. Barriers to implementation of asset building programs are the lack of funding and need for some administrative policy guidance from the Administration for Children and Families, for example, about using federal sources of funding for Native asset building programs. More recently, our policy work has been focused on seeking administrative guidance about the use of federal funds in relation to Tribal TANF-funded IDA programs and how Children's Savings Accounts would affect the benefits of a parent receiving Tribal TANF.
In terms of state policy efforts, we are trying to raise awareness/provide education about the need for statewide funding for tribes and Native nonprofits for Individual Development Account and Children’s Savings Account programs.
3. Have you had any policy-related success so far?
ONAC requested and received administrative policy guidance from the Tribal TANF Central Office regarding whether or not Children’s Savings Accounts, (the child’s money) would negatively affect a family’s eligibility in the Tribal TANF program. We received a response that if the parent is a Tribal TANF customer, their child could have a savings account in the his/her name and the parent would still be eligible for participation in their Tribal TANF program. The parent would just have to check that the tribe has noted that children’s income is disregarded in their Tribal TANF plan. We have been sharing this guidance when we have spoken with our constituents about their interest in piloting Native CSAs in Oklahoma.
4. We know you recently held a Community Roundtable on culturally competent best practices. What were 2 key takeaways from your event?
We learned that there is much potential for Native asset building partnerships between the various attendees (Tribal Child Support Directors, Tribal TANF Directors; the Oklahoma Tribal Child Care Association, Native researchers, Tribal Planning Coordinators, ONAC, Administration for Children and Families, Region VI, Health and Human Services, and the Oklahoma Association of Community Action Agencies, etc).
During the Roundtable, ONAC noted that Native communities may think about assets broadly (and not just as money). Native asset building programs, such as Individual Development Account programs, can be designed in such a way that they help build a number of assets at the same time. For example, including Native language in the financial education classes and allowing IDA participants to purchase assets such as homes, post-secondary education, dance regalia, or commonly-held assets for small business, would provide the cultually competent flexibilty needed.
5. How is dance regalia important to asset building?
By designing asset-building programs, such as an Individual Development Account, IDA, program for high school students, that help our youth pay for dance regalia items (assets that can be used now and handed down) our citizens can more easily afford to participate in community events. It can be expensive to pay for such materials (blouses, shirts, beaded feather fans, shawls, moccasins, etc.-regalia varies by tribe). While we support Native IDA participants having options to purchase dance regalia materials (as an example of a culturally-relevant asset purchase), we also continue to promote Native youth saving for post secondary education, small business development, etc.
