Traditional Native Values: Saying No To Drugs

Social scientists from Arizona State University are making waves with their research on how spirituality and religion are leading factors in preventing urban Native youth from using drugs. As Indian Country Today reports, middle school children who have strong Christian or traditional Native traditions in their homes are more likely to reject offers to try a drug.

At Lamar Associates, we have appreciated for years how important it is to weave Native traditions and spirituality into all the work we do. Because Indian Country is who we are and what we do, our tailored training programs always honor this perspective. Our religions and spirituality and our sense of family and community are not only intertwined, but they are critical keys to healing our people, whether they are living on the reservation or in a city.

Sex Trafficking and Social Media

Facebook is only one of the social media companies that has been struggling with preventing sex trafficking and child pornography, but it's been getting the most attention lately. Although content moderators work long hours to visually check content, no sooner does one fraudulent account get deleted, but an identical one pops up. As New Mexico prosecutors recently learned while trying to bust up an online prostitution ring, laws in many states need to be updated to reflect changing conditions. State prosecutors cleared charges against a former UNM president and others because online prostitution is not illegal under state law. Watch for this month's Lamar Associates newsletter to learn ways you and your children can stay safe and avoid associating with online predators.

Sex Offenders in Your Community

When released from prison, there are few restrictions that prevent sex offenders from living anywhere they want. Depending on the case, some individuals may be released without supervision. A recent report from the Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing (DOJ COPS) offers individuals more information about steps taken to monitor sex offenders and how to protect your family.

A few key tips from the report:
• Check the National Sex Offender Public Website to see if there any sex offenders are living within three miles of your home or children's school.
• Practicing proactive parenting, including monitoring Internet use, and regularly checking the offender website can alert you to suspicious individuals quickly.
• Understand the differences among the types of offenders.
• Encourage any offenders you know to fully comply with court orders.

Click here to download the full report.

Dangers of Rural Law Enforcement

Walter Lamar  honoring fallen officers
BIA Officer Memorial in Artesia, NM. 2012 

Every officer working on a reservation or in a rural area understands how dangerous the work can be. Understaffing leads to long shifts and poor backup; long distances and bad roads contribute to a disproportionate number of vehicular accidents. Recognizing a need to improve officer safety and survival, Lamar Associates/ Indian Country Training is partnering with Narrowgate Security Agency (NGSA) to provide a dynamic, three-day training course that includes two days of live fire exercises.

Did you know:
An officer is killed in Indian Country on an average of every 20 months.
Indian Country officers are more than 36 times more likely to be assaulted in the line of duty than Department of Homeland Security officers.
Indian Country officers are assaulted at twice the national rate.
60% of Federal officer assaults occur in western states.
43% of officer deaths are the result of gunfire and 35% are result from vehicular accidents (including vehicle assault and accidents during pursuit).
BIA police are victims of almost one-third of assault cases against Federal officers.
Nearly 93% of Indian Country officers know their assailant.

Always Practice Due Diligence

Whether you're an individual or a tribe, when you enter into a business relationship, you need to know who you're dancing with! Check out the article in Indian Country Today about how Lamar Associates can help you with due diligence checks.