Children's Bureau Express

Dialog With Native Youth

Building Brighter Futures in Indian Country: What’s on the Minds of Native Youth? reports on the findings of a focus group meeting held in June 2007 in Shelton, WA, that brought together youth, ages 10 to 17, from 20 Tribes across the United States. Sponsored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the meeting gave youth the opportunity to discuss the issues that affect Native American youth, their families, and their communities. The goals of the focus group were to encourage open dialog among this population and assist the Federal Government in creating strategies and programs responsive to the needs of youth in Indian country.

The meeting was part of OJJDP's Tribal Youth Program, which works to reduce risk factors for delinquency, provide support for court-involved youth (including those in foster care), improve the Tribal juvenile justice system, and provide prevention and treatment for substance abuse and mental health problems.

The full report is available on the OJJDP website:

http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/typ/download/223353.pdf (PDF - 689 KB)

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