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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 9^th National Indian Nations: Justice for Victims of Crime Conference. The Conference will be held December 9 — 11, 2004, in Palm Springs California, with the theme, “Reviving our Sacred Legacy: Lighting the Path to our Future.” This year’s conference is coordinated again by the Tribal Law and Policy Institute under a grant from OVC.

The purpose of the 9^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.

Conference Goals

• To Put Victims First
• 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:

• 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 (the Institute) 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. The Institute 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. The Institute 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.

The Tribal Law and Policy Institute established the Tribal Court Clearinghouse as a public service in 1997. The Clearinghouse was the first web site devoted to providing information to people working in Native American tribal justice systems, including victim advocates. The Tribal Court Clearinghouse is designed as a resource for tribal justice systems and others involved in the enhancement of justice in Indian country. The Tribal Court Clearinghouse strives to (1) provide extensive information and resources concerning tribal justice and other issues related to the enhancement of justice in Indian country directly on the Clearinghouse; (2) provide descriptive links to additional resources which will facilitate tribal justice utilization of technological innovations and the vast information available on the Internet; and (3) foster and encourage the exchange of ideas and expertise between people working in tribal justice systems.

Conference Organizational Co-Sponsors

• Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
• American Indian Development Associates (AIDA)
• California Coalition Against Sexual Assault
• California Indian Legal Services (CILS)
• Center for Indigenous Law, Governance Citizenship at Syracuse University School of Law
• Fox Valley Technical College
• Mending the Sacred Hoop
• National American Indian Court Judges Association (NAICJA)
• National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (CASA)
• National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI)
• National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA)
• National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)
• National Tribal Justice Resource Center
• Native American Children’s Alliance (NACA)
• Southwest Center for Law & Policy (SWCLAP)
• UCLA Native Nations Law & Policy Center
• Unified Solutions Coaching & Consulting Group
• University of Nevada Las Vegas Nevada Institute for Children (UNLV)
• University of North Dakota Northern Plains Tribal Judicial Training Institute
• Well Nations Magazine

Conference Agency Co-Sponsors

• American Indian & Alaska Native Affairs Desk
• Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
• Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)

Conference Contributing Co-Sponsors

• Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
• AltaMira Press
• Native American Children’s Alliance (NACA)
• Morongo Band of Mission Indians
• Fox Valley Technical College
• Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
• San Manuel Band of Mission Indians