The village of DOT lake will use these funds to employ a youth coordinator/educator responsible for facilitating weekly programs for tribal youth

The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the Village of DOT Lake $546,353 under the Tribal Youth Program (CFDA 16.731) on October 1, 2025.

The Village of DOT Lake will employ a Youth Coordinator/Educator to facilitate weekly programs for tribal youth, including "Lunch with the Elders," which provides tribal children access to village elders' knowledge while incorporating educational content on missing and murdered indigenous persons, stalking, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and other crimes disproportionately affecting Native communities. The recipient will also host an annual Culture Camp combining these critical topics with instruction in traditional practices and customs. The programs aim to reduce crime and enhance community safety while fostering cultural identity revitalization.

Performance runs through September 30, 2030, with place of performance in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Village of DOT Lake, a federally recognized Alaska Native tribe headquartered in Fairbanks and serving approximately 190 tribal citizens in the Upper Tanana region, receives the award as prime recipient.

One such program, lunch with the elders, provides tribal children with access to the wisdom and knowledge of village elders, incorporating these teachings into important educational topics such as missing and murdered indigenous persons, stalking, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and other crimes disproportionately affecting native communities. In addition, the program hosts an annual culture camp that combines these critical topics with lessons on traditional practices and customs that have been passed down through generations. These programs not only aim to reduce crime and enhance safety within the community but also foster a revitalization of cultural identity and a sense of belonging, elements that have been eroding in many native tribes in todays modern world. Conference activity description: n/a