 
Number 2
December 2000 From the Administrator
Challenges Facing American Indian Youth: On the Front Lines With Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell “The greatest challenges facing American Indian youth are overcoming the obstacles to living a normal childhood, receiving a sound education, and being equipped to compete for jobs in the modern economy. We need to encourage and cultivate environments that facilitate positive growth, making it possible to teach children and youth that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.” OJJDP Tribal Youth Program Responding to the increase in violent crimes committed by juveniles in many tribal communities, Congress established the Tribal Youth Program in 1999. The program, administered by OJJDP and dedicated to the prevention and control of juvenile crime and improvement of the juvenile justice system in American Indian communities, includes a range of projects, activities, and funding categories. Cultural Practices in American Indian Prevention
Programs Culture has been defined as the “complex ensemble of emotions,
beliefs, values, aspirations . . . that together make up behavior.”
Research shows that strong cultural identification makes adolescents
less vulnerable to risk factors for drug use and more able to benefit
from protective factors than adolescents who lack this identification.
Points of view or opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of OJJDP or the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime. |
Washington, DC 20531 (202) 307-5911 John J. Wilson, Editorial Advisory Board John J. Wilson, Chair Betty Chemers Acting Director Eileen Garry Director Kimberly J. Budnick, Director Concentration of Federal Efforts Program Donn Davis, Acting Director Roberta Dorn, Director Ronald Laney, Director Emily Martin, Director Executive Editor Managing Editor Senior Editor Production Editor Juvenile Justice (ISSN 1524–6647) is published by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to advance its mandate to disseminate information regarding juvenile delinquency and prevention programs (42 U.S.C. 5652).
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