Transition Home for Native American Foster Care Youth 

In the United States, Native Americans make up less than 2%
of the population while Native children make up about 1%;
however they represent 2.7% of the kids in the foster care
system and are represented at 2x the level expected
(National Indian Child Welfare Association 2019). In 2022, the
Administration of Children and Families estimated that there
were about 10,000 Native children in foster care, making them
disproportionately overrepresented compared to other ethnic
groups. In Oklahoma alone, Native children represent more
than 35% of those in foster care, despite only making up 9%
of Oklahoma’s population (Oklahoma Department of Human
Services, 2020). This disproportionate overrepresentation is
seen again later on in the prison system, which can be
attributed to the “foster care to prison pipeline”, which refers
to the funneling of children in foster care into juvenile
detention or adult incarceration (Juvenile Law Center, n.d.),
keeping Native Americans in an endless cycle of poverty,
substance abuse, alcoholism, delinquency, and declining
mental and physical health. The problems facing Natives
today have roots in historic practices such as Indian
Boarding Schools, which sought to assimilate Natives into
American culture and strip children of their culture and
traditions, ultimately ignoring tribal sovereignty; since then,
generational traumas have been passed down throughout
the generations, never truly healing from the injustices of the
past. In response to this problem, Red Dog Pass, a residential
facility for Native American foster care kids, seeks to
acknowledge the historical events and generational traumas,
but emphasizes the importance of reconciling with it, finding
peace, and moving on. By prioritizing wellness and healing
through the use of 8 Dimensions of Wellness, sense of place,
and cultural symbolism. the deeper issues can be addressed
and remedied. By providing access to therapy, education,
while ensuring basic needs are being met, this housing model
seeks to prioritize safety and the holistic wellbeing of Native
children, while recognizing culture and tradition, but also
moving forward and providing alternative avenues that strive
to break the cycle of juvenile and adolescent delinquency in
Natives, changing their current trajectory