b'WELCOMEfrom the AdministratorWelcome to the 2022 Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Tribal Youth National Conference! We are excited to come together in person to lift up and support the important work being done by Tribes, Tribal communities and Tribal youth to bring culturally based solutions to issues involving Tribal youth justice.Our theme this year is Imagining A New Future: Justice, Equity, Healing and Empowerment for Native Youth, and our conference is held on the land of the Kumeyaay people.We recognize and honor the relationship that exists between the Kumeyaay and the land on which we gather, and we are grateful to be here.This years conference brings together OJJDP-funded Tribal Youth Programs, Juvenile Healing to Wellness Courts, federally recognized Tribes, as well as Tribal and non-Tribal youth-serving organiza-tions to provide peer learning opportunities which promote collaboration, community building, problem solving, and outcome-driven action in the work done with and for Tribal youth. You will hear from a broad variety of experts, including Native youth leaders, Healing to Wellness Court Coordinators, and others over the next three days.I am especially excited to be co-locating this years Tribal Youth National Conference with OJJDPs State and Tribal Relations Assistance Division (STRAD) Conference. I encourage you to take time to connect and expand relationships in your area. Our collective partnership is essential to serving the needs of all young people.As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) that established the OJJDP we look forward to focusing on the priorities that drive our work: treating children as children, serving children at home, with their families, in their communities, and opening up opportunities for system-involved youth. OJJDP is committed to working with Tribes, Tribal communities and Tribal youth on making these priorities a reality in all youth justice work while recognizing and respecting the sovereignty of Tribal nations, as well as the unique culture, strengths and challenges of the 574 federally recognized Tribes across the country.We look forward to really listening to what OJJDP can do to strengthen our Tribal relationships into true partnerships for a new future of justice, equity, healing and empowerment for Native Youth. Sincerely,Administrator Elizabeth Ryan4'