The Association on American Indian Affairs (the Association) has announced the release of Strengthening the Circle: Collaborating with Native Nations to Support Native Youth, a groundbreaking guidebook designed for state and local youth justice practitioners working with Native youth. This new resource offers practical strategies for identifying Native youth, building respectful partnerships with Native Nations, and embedding culturally grounded support within youth justice systems.
The launch aligns with Youth Justice Action Month (YJAM), a national initiative held each October to raise awareness and promote reforms that create safer, more equitable youth justice systems.
Native youth continue to be overrepresented in detention facilities and face distinct challenges in receiving fair treatment. They are nearly four times more likely than white youth to be incarcerated, and their Native Nations are often not notified or involved in their cases. Strengthening the Circle aims to address these gaps by equipping professionals with actionable steps to collaborate with Native Nations as sovereign governments and to ensure that Native youth have access to culturally appropriate services.
Research from the National Indian Child Welfare Association, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and other public health studies has shown that strong connections to cultural practices, family, and Native Nations serve as protective factors—supporting resilience, well-being, and long-term success for Native youth.
Justice for Native youth is not only about the outcomes for individuals—it is about the future of sovereign Native Nations and the effectiveness of state systems. When systems disregard identity, Native youth lose connection to their cultures, families, and Nations. This disconnection perpetuates harm and contributes to a long-standing pattern of erasure.
By partnering with Native Nations, states can better allocate limited resources, reduce recidivism, and create healthier, more sustainable outcomes by leveraging the strength of culture and community. Strengthening the Circle provides practitioners with tools to support these changes.
“This guide is a call to action for youth justice professionals,” said Kim Mettler, citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and Next Generations Director for the Association. “Too many Native youth are pulled into systems that fail to recognize their identity or involve their Nations. This guide offers simple but powerful tools to change that pattern—by centering Native youth in their relatives, cultures, and Nations where they belong.”
“Protecting Native youth is essential to protecting the sovereignty of Native Nations,” said Shannon O’Loughlin, citizen of the Choctaw Nation, Chief Executive and Attorney for the Association. “When Native youth are disconnected from their cultures and communities, entire Nations suffer. This guide serves as an educational tool for non-Native systems, shifting the responsibility of learning about Native sovereignty and culture onto those who work with Native youth.”
Kim Mettler will present a 50-minute session on Strengthening the Circle on October 15 at 3:10 p.m. PT during the 6th Annual Indigenous Children, Youth and Families Conference, hosted by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families. Additionally, on October 23 at 10:00 a.m. PT, she will moderate a one-hour panel discussion hosted by the Association in partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The panel will feature Annie Brokenleg, coordinator for South Dakota’s State Juvenile Diversion and JDAI committees, and consultant Nick Costales.
Both events are open to the public, with content tailored to local, county, and state youth justice professionals as well as community partners.
Registration details are available at www.Indian-Affairs.org/NativeYouthJustice.html.
The guidebook, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is available for free download at www.Indian-Affairs.org/NativeYouthJustice.html, where practitioners can also access surveys and request training or technical assistance.
“Together, we can strengthen the circle to support Native youth,” said O’Loughlin.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Oral History Project Announces 14th Stop in Portland, Oregon: NABS Continues to Gather Crucial Stories Across Indian Country
American Indigenous Tourism Association Launches New Era of Cultural Travel at 27th Annual Conference
Haaland Pledges Support for Rural Communities, Traditional Land Use, and New Mexico Water Systems
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
