The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Justice Programs, within the U.S. Department of Justice is pleased to announce the 15^th National Indian Nations Conference: Justice for Victims of Crime. The Conference will be held December 8 — 10, 2016, on the reservation of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, California, with the theme, “Harnessing our Collective Wisdom: Strengthening the Circle of Safety, Justice and Healing.” This year's conference is once again coordinated by the Tribal Law and Policy Institute under a grant from OVC. 

The purpose of the 15^th National Indian Nations Conference—the largest U.S. 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. 

This year's conference goals are:

1. Honoring & Listening to Victim/Survivor Voices: Creating victim-centered/sensitive responses; being inclusive of victim/survivors particularly those from un‐served or underserved populations, including LGBTQ victims; and promoting peer to peer learning opportunities.
2. Promoting Safety, Justice and Healing: Justice for victims/justice for all; understanding jurisdictional issues; exercising tribal sovereignty to promote safety & justice; highlighting the resiliency of spirituality & healing in tribal communities.
3. Honoring the Wisdom of the Past: Understanding historical trauma; enlisting tribal elders as keepers of our tribal histories; and embracing traditional teachings.
4. Promoting Traditional Values: Promoting traditional values and incorporating traditional skills in crime victim services; upholding wellness, mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally; and framing victim services around tribal traditions.       
5. Ensuring Safety, Justice & Healing for Seven Generations of Children: Addressing child sexual abuse & education on developing programs for victims; emphasis on victims within the juvenile justice system; support for keeping youth within the community.
6. Working in Harmony: Building partnerships with federal agencies; supporting partnerships between tribes; education on the importance of networking and working together in collaboration to strengthen services; supporting multi-disciplinary teams; and networking with Native men to address domestic violence & sexual assault.
7. Supporting and Educating Tribal Leaders: Educating and supporting efforts of tribal leaders to achieve accountability and responsibility to victims of crime.
8. Sustaining our Legacy: Developing skills and incorporating cultural approaches to enhance sustainability and measurability; increasing the accuracy of victimization research; and developing capacity within victim services.
9. Healing the Healers: Ensuring safety and support for service providers.

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: 

• Putting victims first
• 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 
The Tribal Law and Policy Institute (TLPI) is an Indian owned and operated non-profit corporation organized to design and deliver education, research, training, and technical assistance programs which promote the improvement of justice in Indian country and the health, well-being, and culture of Native peoples. TLPI focuses upon collaborative programs that provide critical resources for tribal court systems, victims assistance programs, and others involved in promoting the improvement of justice in Indian country. TLPI seeks to facilitate the sharing of resources so that Indian Nations and tribal justice systems have access to resources that they can adapt to meet the individual needs of their communities.

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