2002 Conference Updates

Request for Conference Evaluations: Thank you for attending the 8^th National Strengthening Indian Nations: Justice for Victims of Crime conference in Palm Springs. It was wonderful to see you all and we hope that will find the resources and interaction at the conference useful in expanding the circle of safety, justice and healing for victims of crime in your community.

To help improve the conference in the future, we ask that you please fill out an overall conference evaluation (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view this file). All evaluations received by December 16, 2002 by 5:00 PM PST will be eligible for a final raffle contest. We will be raffling off framed, signed conference posters. We will ship the posters directly to you. There will also be a range of runner-up prizes that we will mail to winners. But we must receive your evaluation by December 16, 2002 to be eligible for the contest.

Certificates of Attendance: If you didn’t pick up your certificate of attendance, we will mail your certificate to you upon receipt of your evaluation. The deadline for receiving an evaluation in order to send you a certificate of attendance is December 31, 2002.

Thank you again for making the 8^th National Strengthening Indian Nations’ conference such a success. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the conference. Remember to fax your completed conference evaluation forms to us at: 1-323-650-8149 no later than December 16, 2002.

If you have questions or comments, call us at 1-323-650-5467.

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The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Justice Programs, within the U.S. Department of Justice is pleased to announce the 8^th National Strengthening Indian Nations: Justice for Victims of Crime Conference. The Conference will be held December 5-7, 2002, in Palm Springs California, with the theme “United Voices: Expanding the Circle of Safety, Justice and Healing.” This year’s conference is coordinated by the Tribal Law and Policy Institute under a grant from OVC.

The purpose of the 8^th National Indian Nations Conference- the largest Department of Justice sponsored Indian Nations conference - is to bring together Native American victims, victim advocates, tribal leaders, victim service providers, community volunteers, prosecutors, judicial and law enforcement personnel, family violence and sexual assault specialists, medical providers, social services and mental health personnel, probation/corrections, criminal justice and juvenile justice personnel, as well as federal and state agency representatives to share their knowledge, experiences and ideas for developing programs that serve the unique needs of crime victims in Indian Country.

Conference Goals: 

• To Promote Healing for Victims
• To Honor Survivors and Helpers
• To Promote Cooperation and Networking
• To Provide Skills Building Training
• To Share Promising Practices

Office for Victims of Crime

The Office for Victims of Crime was established by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) to serve as the federal government’s chief advocate for America’s crime victims. OVC administers many formula and discretionary grants for programs designed to benefit crime victims, provides training for diverse professionals who work with crime victims, and develops projects to enhance victim’s rights and services. OVC is committed to enhancing the Nation's capacity to assist crime victims and to providing leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime. OVC works with national, international, state, military, and tribal victim assistance and criminal justice agencies, as well as other professional organizations, to promote fundamental rights and comprehensive services for crime victims.

OVC is committed to:

• Enacting and enforcing consistent, fundamental rights for crime victims.
• Providing crime victims with access to comprehensive, quality services.
• Integrating crime victims' issues into all levels of the Nation's educational system.
• Supporting, improving, and replicating promising practices in victims' rights and services.
• Ensuring that the voices of crime victims play a central role in the Nation's response to violence.

Tribal Law and Policy Institute

Conference Organizational Co-Sponsors

• Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
• American Indian Development Associates (AIDA)
• American University School of Public Affairs
• California Indian Legal Services (CILS)
• Mending the Sacred Hoop
• National American Indian Court Judges Association (NAICJA)
• NAICJA's National Tribal Justice Resource Center
• National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (CASA) 
• National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI)
• National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA)
• Native American Children’s Alliance (NACA)
• Native American Rights Fund (NARF)
• Northern Plains Tribal Judicial Training Institute
• University of California Los Angeles American Indian Studies Center (UCLA) 
• University of Nevada Las Vegas American Indian Research and Education Center (UNLV)
• University of Nevada Las Vegas Nevada Institute for Children (UNLV) 
• Well Nations Magazine 

Conference Agency Co-Sponsors

• National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
• Office for Civil Rights
• Office of Justice Programs - Office of the Comptroller
• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Office of Tribal Justice
• Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)

Conference Contributing Co-Sponsors

• Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
• Chickasaw Nation
• Cocopah Indian Tribe
• Morongo Band of Mission Indians
• Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
• San Manuel Band of Mission Indians

Special Notice

The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians will be holding its 6^th Annual Winter Gathering Pow Wow December 6 through December 8 on the grounds of the Spotlight 29 Casino in Palm Springs. A celebration of Native American traditions, the Pow Wow will feature dancers from Mexico, Canada, and across the United States; drum groups from throughout the country and Canada competing for top honors; a wide variety of food booths; and an excellent display of Arts and Crafts.

For more information, contact committee members Brandy GoodBuffalo and Earl Thomas at 760-775-3239, or Robert Paull at 760-775-2853.