Tribal Youth Program

The Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma Tribal Youth Program seeks to improve Tribal youth’s academic performance, prevent problem behaviors, provide a safe and healthy environment, and encourage positive youth development through a holistic approach, respecting all aspects of a youth’s life both within and outside their Tribal affiliation. The overall goal is to enhance and expand current programs to provide more opportunities to contact Tribal youth, families, and their peers. Five problems have been identified and addressed: (1) lack of an effective referral system between Tribal Youth Programs, Indian Child Welfare Department, Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma (AST) Tribal Court, and AST Police Department (ASTPD) to reduce youth delinquency and prevent other issues involving youth such as runaway prevention; (2) minimally developed Tribal Explorers program to address youth engagement opportunities with the ASTPD; (3) minimal runaway prevention and missing and murdered Indigenous women/girls’ awareness efforts for youth; (4) limited community-based, out-of-school activities for youth and families in the Little Axe Community; and (5) minimal fentanyl awareness efforts in the community and Tribe. The funding will enhance current programming by adding missing and murdered Indigenous women/girls’ awareness to our runaway prevention efforts and fentanyl awareness to the Tribe and community. It will allow new programs to be created, such as a “5th quarter” program and other outreach events. It will refine the Explorers program and create a better-defined referral system for the AST Courts and ASTPD, which will lead to an increase in the number of youth and families served. The project will enhance Tribal interdepartmental partnerships and enhance youth and elder engagement. The goal is to increase yearly enrollment, regular attendance in all programs, and engage their Tribal youth in a positive environment to reduce youth crime, prevent youth delinquency, and prevent Tribal youth runaways.