Summary:
At the annual United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) conference, tribal youth engaged senior Administration officials on issues affecting their communities. Many conference participants voiced concern about illicit substance use among their peers. A substantial portion of the American Indian and Alaska Native population is under the age of 24 (42 percent compared to 34 percent of the general population), and a significant percentage of the population falls in the 15-19 age group. Young people are our Nation’s greatest resource, so it is essential that we do everything we can to encourage healthy, drug-free youth communities in Indian Country.