What National Indian Justice Center does

The National Indian Justice Center (NIJC), established in 1983, is an Indian-owned and operated non-profit corporation headquartered in Santa Rosa, California, that provides legal education, research, training, and technical assistance to tribal governments, tribal courts, tribal law enforcement, social services, medical personnel, and victim assistance programs throughout Indian country. NIJC delivers its services through a portfolio of specialized programs including the Native American Children Training Forum (NACTF) for ICWA training across 18 tribal sites and 5 regional hubs, the California Tribal Crisis Response Training Program, the Tribal Transportation Safety and Planning Program (TTSPP), the Turning Points alcohol and substance abuse curriculum, and the Songs of Our People cultural preservation video project. Its core technology stack centers on a Moodle-based distance learning platform with mobile app support hosting 12+ online courses, supplemented by Zoom and WebEx for webinars, YouTube for video content distribution, and SurveyMonkey for needs assessments.

NIJC operates a hybrid service and product model: the majority of training programs and distance learning courses are delivered at no cost to participants, funded through grants from federal and state agencies including the Bureau of Justice Assistance, California Department of Social Services, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Federal Highway Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Administration for Native Americans, CDC, and DOJ Victims of Crime Act. A modest revenue contribution comes from publication sales (notably the FAS/ARND curriculum sold at $40 per copy including shipping) and contracted training and technical assistance services. The organization is led by Executive Director Raquelle Myers following the December 2020 passing of founder Joseph A. Myers, with a small core staff of approximately 10 supported by a board of directors and a consultant network spanning multiple tribal nations.

Name

National Indian Justice Center

Legal name

National Indian Justice Center, Inc.

Website

https://nijc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Indian Justice Center is a 100% Native-governed non-profit founded in 1983 that delivers legal education, training, and technical assistance to tribal courts, governments, law enforcement, and social services across Indian country through grant-funded programs and a Moodle-based distance learning platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tribal Justice Training and Technical Assistance

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Systems & Skills Technical Assistance (BPADAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Behavioral Health & Substance Use Program Funding (Public Health) (HLAJALAI)

Keywords

• Tribal justice training
• Legal education services
• Tribal technical assistance
• ICWA training programs
• Tribal court consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Rosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: NIJC operates primarily through federal and state grants from agencies including Bureau of Justice Assistance, California Department of Social Services, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Administration for Native Americans, and other government sources
2. Publication Sales: Sale of training materials, curricula, and publications such as the FAS curriculum sold for $40 per copy including printing and shipping
3. Contracted Training Services: Training and technical assistance services provided through contractual arrangements between NIJC and tribes or organizations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NIJC provides regional and on-site training, technical assistance, distance learning courses, court evaluation, code drafting/revision, legal research, and publications to tribal courts, tribal governments, law enforcement, social services, medical personnel, and victim assistance programs throughout Indian country. Programs cover criminal law, civil law, child welfare (ICWA), alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence, juvenile justice, tribal transportation safety, and crisis response. Most training programs are offered at no cost to participants through grant funding, while publications such as the FAS curriculum are sold for $40 per copy.

Product overview

The National Indian Justice Center is an Indian-owned non-profit corporation established in 1983 providing legal education, research, and technical assistance programs for Native communities and tribal governments. NIJC operates as a training and technical assistance organization rather than a unified software product. The organization's portfolio consists of multiple interconnected programs: core Training and Technical Assistance Services providing regional trainings and on-site consultations; a Distance Learning Platform (Moodle-based) delivering online courses; specialized programs including the Native American Children Training Forum (NACTF) for child welfare ICWA training, the California Tribal Crisis Response Training Program for emergency preparedness, and the Tribal Transportation Safety and Planning Program (TTSPP) for transportation safety; and curriculum products including the FAS/ARND curriculum for justice systems, the Turning Points alcohol/substance abuse curriculum, Songs of Our People cultural education videos, and Solid Waste Management training. These offerings are supported by publication services, court evaluation services, code drafting services, and resource services. The organization serves tribal courts, tribal governments, law enforcement, social services, medical personnel, and victim assistance programs throughout Indian country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NACTF (Native American Children Training Forum): A project that assesses and improves the telecommunications/information technology and training capacity of tribes and agencies serving Native American children who have been abused, neglected, or are at risk.
• Songs of Our People
• TTSPP (Tribal Transportation Safety and Planning Program)
• Turning Points
• California Tribal Crisis Response Training Program

Products and services

• Training and Technical Assistance Services NIJC's primary service providing regional trainings, on-site training, and conferences for tribal courts, tribal government, law enforcement, social services, medical personnel, and victim assistance programs. Topics include alcohol and substance abuse, alternative dispute resolution, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, Indian youth and family law, juvenile justice, and federal Indian law.
• NIJC Distance Learning Platform Moodle-based online learning platform offering self-study courses and instructor-moderated distance learning courses for tribal communities. Courses cover ICWA training, crisis response, environmental quality, tribal transportation safety, FAS/FAE awareness, youth programs, and computer literacy. Accessible via Moodle Mobile App at nijcservices.org/nijcroom.
• Tribal Indian Child Welfare Advocates Training Program Program funded by California Department of Social Services providing training and educational resources to social workers and professionals working on Indian Child Welfare Act cases. Curricula include Tribal Criminal Background Checks, Tribal Customary Adoption, Active Efforts, and Stages of Dependency, delivered as one-day workshops for two to three days at each training site.
• Native American Children Training Forum (NACTF) Project assessing and improving telecommunications/IT and training capacity of California tribes serving Native American children who have been abused, neglected, or at risk. Operates 18 tribal sites with regional hubs providing distance learning and professional networking.
• California Tribal Crisis Response Training Program Program increasing effective tribal crisis response through trauma-informed training for tribal and non-tribal emergency responders. Curriculum covers four modules: Tribal Communities and Essential Knowledge, Pre-Crisis Preparation and Planning, Crisis Management, and Post-Crisis Programming.
• Tribal Transportation Safety and Planning Program (TTSPP) Technical assistance program providing transportation safety training, injury prevention resources, traffic safety data tools, and funding database for tribal governments. Includes Tribal Transportation Safety Assessments, Active Transportation Assessments with California Native American Tribes, Climate Change Vulnerabilities in Tribal Transportation Systems, and the Transportation Safety Justice Liaison Project.
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Curriculum Training curriculum on FAS/ARND impacts on tribal justice systems, developed in partnership with the CDC. Includes seven chapters covering FAS/ARND awareness, prevention, justice system responses, and multi-disciplinary team approaches. Available for $40 including printing and shipping.
• Turning Points Curriculum Comprehensive tribal court alcohol and substance abuse training program designed to build capacity of tribal justice systems with regional academy training, onsite technical assistance, webinars, and mentoring sessions.
• Songs of Our People Video Project Statewide oral history documentation project creating 30+ multi-media presentations (ten to twenty minute each) on California Indian histories and cultures, with intergenerational story gathering workshops and a user's guide toolbox.
• Solid Waste Management Training Online course addressing illegal dumping, tribal code development and enforcement, jurisdictional conflicts, reduction and recycling, hazardous waste from meth labs, and RCRA compliance for tribal communities.
• NACTF Online ICWA Courses Online training courses specific to California and federal ICWA implementation including Child Abuse Investigative Protocols, Tribal STAR: ICWA, ICWA 101, ICWA Qualified Expert Witness, Active Efforts, Mandatory Reporting, and Courtroom Decorum.
• Court Evaluation Services Periodic review of tribal court systems to determine strengths and weaknesses. Includes on-site examination, detailed reports with recommendations, and upon request, operations and procedures manual development with follow-up training.
• Code Drafting and Revision Services Legal code development services for tribal justice programs with understanding of special needs and legal requirements of Indian jurisdictions. Includes model juvenile justice code and tribal child/family protection code.
• Publication Services Sale of written training materials, curricula, and publications employed in NIJC's educational programs. Includes training manuals, curriculum guides, and reference materials for tribal justice systems.
• Tribal Crash Data Online Tool Online tool developed with UC Berkeley SafeTREC to improve traffic safety on tribal lands by enhancing quality, access, and utilization of traffic safety data for California tribal communities.
• Tribal Consultation Toolkit Resources supporting tribal consultation processes including expert panel guidance, funding information, and training materials for California tribal governments.
• If I Only Knew Video Project Single-session video intervention designed to change norms favorable to alcohol consumption and increase Native youth resiliency toward non-consumption. Addresses driver safety and maternal and child health through alcohol awareness.

Quantifiable outcome

• NIJC has been providing training and technical assistance to tribal communities since 1983
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• National American Indian Court Judges AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1983Founding partner in establishing NIJC in 1983 to create an independent national resource for Native communities and tribal governments. The collective efforts of this association and other founding partners led to the creation of NIJC.
• American Indian Lawyer Training ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1983Founding partner in establishing NIJC in 1983. From 1976 to 1983, Joseph Myers served as associate director of this program, creating and managing its tribal court advocate training project.
• Bureau of Indian AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1983Founding partner in establishing NIJC in 1983 through collective efforts to create an independent national resource for Native communities and tribal governments.
• SafeTREC (UC-Berkeley)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIJC works with SafeTREC on the Tribal Crash Data Online Tool project and the Tribal Transportation Safety Assessment (TTSA) project to improve traffic safety on tribal lands in California.
• California Indian Museum and Cultural CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIJC partners with CIMCC on multiple projects including Communities Empowering Native Youth (CENY), Activating Native Youth Assets, and Songs of Our People. Joseph Myers was a founding board member of CIMCC.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Indian Health Board (NIHB): A national nonprofit providing advocacy, technical assistance, and training to tribal governments on health policy and public health programs. NIHB's federal grant-funded training and education model parallels NIJC's structure, particularly relevant given NIJC's FAS curriculum and tribal transportation safety programming.
• National Indian Education Association (NIEA): The largest national Native education advocacy organization, working to improve educational opportunities for Native students through policy, training, and member services. NIEA's federal grant-funded training and education programming provides a complementary—rather than directly competitive—peer profile to NIJC's specialized legal/justice training.
• National Congress of American Indians (NCAI): The oldest and largest national organization advocating for tribal sovereignty and self-determination across all policy areas. While more advocacy-focused than NIJC, NCAI provides comparable Indian Country technical assistance capacity-building and serves overlapping tribal government and organizational audiences.

Direct peers

• National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA): A leading national Native nonprofit dedicated to the well-being of Native American children and families, providing ICWA training, technical assistance, and advocacy. NICWA directly overlaps NIJC's NACTF and Tribal Indian Child Welfare Advocates Training Program in serving tribal social service agencies with grant-funded educational support.
• First Nations Development Institute: A national Native-controlled nonprofit providing grantmaking, training, technical assistance, and research to Native American communities. It shares NIJC's grant-funded technical assistance model and Native governance ethos, though focused more on economic and community development than justice system training.
• Native American Rights Fund (NARF): A national Indian nonprofit legal organization providing legal representation, training, and technical assistance to tribes, organizations, and individuals. NARF overlaps NIJC in tribal legal education, federal Indian law training, and capacity-building for tribes, though weighted more toward litigation and less toward technical assistance delivery.
• Tribal Law and Policy Institute: A Native-owned nonprofit providing training, technical assistance, and resource development for tribal justice systems, courts, and law enforcement. It is the most direct peer to NIJC, operating an overlapping set of tribal court, juvenile justice, and tribal law enforcement programs with comparable federal grant funding sources.
• Indian Law Resource Center: A Native-led nonprofit providing legal advocacy, training, and education on the rights of Indigenous peoples under U.S. and international law. It shares NIJC's focus on culturally grounded Indian law training, technical assistance to tribal governments, and education on Indigenous legal rights.
• National American Indian Court Judges Association (NAICJA): A founding partner organization of NIJC focused on strengthening tribal judicial systems through judicial education, training, and resource development. NAICJA's specialized judicial training focus and tribal court audience overlaps substantially with NIJC's court evaluation, code drafting, and judicial training services.

Regional players

• California Indian Legal Services: A California-focused Native legal services nonprofit providing direct legal representation and education to California tribes and tribal members. It overlaps with NIJC on California Indian law training and tribal capacity-building, but operates regionally in California rather than nationally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NIJCtwt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/nijc83
• Facebookfacebook.com/nijc.tribal.law
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-indian-justice-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/nijc_santarosa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Indian Justice Center