Program

This 3-day workshop is designed primarily for employees, managers and directors of agencies that have regular transactions with California Indian tribes.  It is divided into the following three related sections: (I) Tribes’ historical relationships with state and federal government, their governing structure, perspectives, values and changing dynamics; (II) Cross-cultural communication and collaborative skills, tools and processes; and (III) Learning how to create and maintain effective “government to government” relationships.  The training will be skills-based and interactive.  There will be presentations and demonstrations by the trainers as well as small group work, simulations and role plays, question and answer sessions, and instructional videos.  

Steven Haberfeld Ph.D. and Joyce Burel MFCC will be the trainers.  Dr. Haberfeld is the co-founder and current Executive Director of Indian Dispute Resolution Services, Inc. (1989), a national Indian non-profit organization.  It provides ADR services and extensive training in cross-cultural communication, collaborative decision making and conflict resolution to Indian leaders and to federal and state agency and government officials. IDRS maintains a roster of ADR mediators and facilitators (Indian and non-Indian) who can serve as intermediaries and help bridge the cultural gap between federal and state government agencies and Indian and other minority populations.

Dr. Haberfeld has been working as a mediator, arbitrator, facilitator, and trainer since 1980.  He has extensive experience convening people, assisting them articulate their concerns and perspectives, problem solve and craft mutually satisfying written agreements.  This has been in the public and private sectors in conflicts between individuals, departments, organizations, agencies, ethnic groups and communities, and labor/management. His areas of specialty include resolving cross-cultural conflicts and facilitating “government to government” negotiations between Indian tribes and a myriad of county, state and federal agencies.

Joyce Burel, MFCC (Picayne/Chukchansi) is a Senior Associate Mediator and Trainer with Indian Dispute Resolution Services. Ms. Burel brings an unusual combination of experience to IDRS.  On one hand, she is an astute practitioner and trainer schooled in a range of conflict resolution disciplines.  At the same time, she has accumulated a wealth of practical experience as a tried and tested Indian leader. In recent years, Ms. Burel has served as the elected Chairperson and currently Tribal Council Secretary of the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians in Coarsegold, CA.  In this capacity, she has been integrally involved in the entire range of her Tribe’s internal matters.  In addition, she has shepherded her Tribe through extensive external negotiations with federal, state and county government agencies, local political jurisdictions, and private interests in the non-Indian community regarding economic development and land use and acquisition issue