Being together with family can be a positive and crucial cornerstone aspect in anyone’s life. With family, we learn how to communicate, express our emotions, interact with people and showcase our love for each other as we all grow and navigate life and its many journeys. 

Here in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, reuniting families with their children has been just one of the many focal points within the Social Services Department. 

On March 10, the department hosted its inaugural “Reunification Day” at the Salt River Ballfield. SRPMIC Council members, directors, managers and others were all in attendance to help celebrate SRPMIC families being reunited with their children. 

“Families reunify through Salt River Tribal Court and obtain physical and legal custody of their children once their Dependency case closes,” shared Devanie S. Hawkins, SRPMIC social worker/community liaison. 

“[Reunification Day] is something we want to continue to do annually to celebrate families who achieve reunification,” she said. “We know and understand how important it is for kids to be home with their families and to remain in the Community and it is our mission to reunify kids back home as quickly and as often as can safely be done.”

During the celebration, Steve Hudson, Social Services director, shared his appreciation to the families and those in attendance who helped celebrate the reunification. “I know how much my family means to me and what I do today. As Indigenous people, we truly have the same framework,” shared Hudson. He continued, “Not only with our immediate family, but extended as well. It truly takes all of us to work together in order for us to have successful outcomes,” he said. Hudson has been with Social Services for nearly a decade. 

Hudson thanked his team for their hard work and extended his appreciation to the many other SRPMIC departments and staff that work in collaboration. “We believe children are best when they are with family,” said Hudson. 

Families were provided with several free inflatable bounce houses in the outfield of the ballfield, lunch from the food truck, Taqueria Los Chachos, as well as gift bags, compliments of the staff and management from Discover Salt River. Additionally, families had the opportunity to have their photo taken at a family photo booth operated by Schaaf Industries. 

After Hudson’s remarks, former Presiding Judge Darayne Achin provided a few words as families and their children had fun at the bounce houses. “As your retired presiding judge, it was my great pleasure and honor to be the judge for the families that were able to return the children to the parents. This was teamwork, it wasn’t just a judge or a social worker. It was everybody. That old saying, ‘it takes a village to raise a child?’ It’s true,” she said. 

Following Achin’s speech, SRPMIC Council member Jacob Butler, bared his soul regarding his family being displaced years ago. “Many years ago, all of us were taken from our parents because of an accusation. It was hard to be away from our parents, being young and not understanding what’s going to happen next. The holidays came and we still weren’t with our parents. The day we came home was the first time that all of us had seen each other again. I remember crying. I cried out of pure joy of seeing my family, my mom, dad and being able to have them hold me. I know what it feels like for these kids,” he shared, holding back his emotions as they poured out of him. 

He added, “For all the parents here, congratulations for doing the work and getting your kids back. The same pain and anguish you’re going through, so are your kids. I commend you for all the hard work you’ve done.”

Nearly a decade ago, the SRPMIC Social Services Department had over 400 children out of home care. Currently, the Social Services program has less than 100 children, with the continued goal of reuniting families and hosting reunification days on an annual basis. 

For information regarding the program and the resources available to membership, interested individuals can contact the department directly by dialing (480) 362-3277.