The Riverside County Tribal Alliance for Indian Children and Families was formed in 2005 at the direction of the Superior Court ``to minimize court and county intervention and increase tribal participation and control over Native American children and families by developing culturally appropriate services,'' according to a court statement.

A ceremony is planned next month to mark the fifth anniversary of a partnership between Riverside County and local Indian tribes that stresses the importance of tribal officials handling matters concerning members.

The Riverside County Tribal Alliance for Indian Children and Families was formed in 2005 at the direction of the Superior Court “to minimize court and county intervention and increase tribal participation and control over Native American children and families by developing culturally appropriate services,” according to a court statement.

On Oct. 15, alliance members will gather at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon to highlight the progress made over the last five years.
Scheduled speakers include Richard C. Blake, chief magistrate of the Hoopa Valley Tribal Court; Diane Nunn, director of the Superior Court’s Center for Families, Children and the Courts; and Justice Dennis M. Perluss, presiding judge of the state Court of Appeal for the 2nd Appellate District.

The alliance meets three times a year and has subcommittees that work on issues related to tribal expert witnesses, placement and foster care for Indian children, and solutions to domestic violence, according to the Superior Court.
The alliance facilitates cooperation between the tribes and a number of community and governmental agencies, court officials said.