Revisiting Harmony: How Her Journey With Kin-First and ICWA Is Coming Full Circle
Harmony’s journey has been shaped by love, loss, recovery and the strength she has found within herself and through her family. While uniquely her own, her story reflects experiences shared by many parents and families navigating substance use, recovery, family separation and the child welfare system.
Harmony continues to carry the impact of her separation from her first son, Little Bear, in her heart each day. As Harmony pursued recovery, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) helped ensure that her second son, Savior, remained connected to family while she worked toward reunification. Now, she is sharing the next chapter of her story.
Since she first shared her story, Harmony and her husband welcomed their daughter into their lives, and Savior has become a big brother. Alongside raising her growing family, Harmony has been working to achieve her LCSW and has completed an internship working as a substance use disorder counselor at Consolidated Tribal Health.
“I have been focusing on college and my kids,” Harmony said. “It is a lot of work, but I know it will be well worth it in the end.”
Turning Experience Into Advocacy
Harmony's experiences with the child welfare system have also strengthened her belief in the importance of kinship care by prioritizing relatives and extended family when a child cannot safely remain with their parents.
“I believe it’s the most important, so we know where we come from and where we belong. It is meaningful that a family member who has a Tribal background can care for a child,” she said.
For Harmony, the time Savior spent in the home of someone she did not know added to the disruption and fear she was experiencing. Once he was placed with his grandmother, Harmony felt greater relief and comfort knowing he was with family, which helped her focus more fully on her recovery.
“Kinship [placement] provides an existing bond built on unconditional love instead of professional caretaking,” Harmony said. “Savior’s grandmother served as a bridge to their past while I was working on myself and our future.”
Harmony has continued to turn her experiences into advocacy by speaking at events, presenting in UC Davis classes and sharing her story through a video used as a training and professional development resource for human service professionals across California. She feels it is important to share her story in hopes that it will help someone else have a better experience than she and her family did.
While Harmony has inspired many, she continues to draw inspiration from her own family, especially her grandmother.
“My grandmother was with me throughout my first child welfare case and navigating the process, so I made a promise to her on her hospice bed to stay on the right path," she said. "I feel like it is very important for me to fulfill that promise.”
Using Her Voice for Change
Harmony’s commitment to advocacy was recognized this past Apri, at Tribal Star’s 26th Annual Judges Dinner, where state and Tribal court judges, Tribal leaders, judicial leaders, child welfare professionals and Tribal partners honored her with a plaque recognizing her as a Guardian of ICWA.
Harmony was joined at the event by Alice Langton-Sloan, former ICWA advocate and current Health and Human Services and Indian Child Welfare advocate for Cahto Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria, and Winter Vansickle, an ICWA advocate for the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians. Both Langton-Sloan and Vansickle spoke at the event and shared Harmony's strength and advocacy.
“It was an amazing experience to be able to show my video to judges, attorneys and people who make court decisions," Harmony said. "My video showed them to make active efforts and always do the right thing.”
While the recognition was meaningful, Harmony said an even greater accomplishment lies ahead: earning her license as a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and using her experience to help others.
Her future begins with continuing her education. After receiving her associate degree this fall, Harmony plans to transfer to Cal Poly Humboldt in the winter to start working on her bachelor’s degree.
She hopes earning her LCSW will allow her to help improve the child welfare system and support parents who find themselves in the same position she once did.
By sharing her story, Harmony is using it as an opportunity to help reshape the system to ensure families are supported with empathy and children remain connected to their loved ones.
We encourage you to watch Harmony's video and use the corresponding study guide to deepen your reflection and learning. To share your own story with us, fill out our quick survey so we can learn more and possibly share it with our larger community.