Reflections from Jeannette Bocanegra, Executive Director of Justice for Families, following the I Am Legacy Conference in South Dakota

I returned home from South Dakota, but a part of my spirit is still there.

It was an incredible honor to attend and speak at the I Am Legacy Conference, alongside Janet Soto, Justice for Families Community Peer Navigator. Together, we had the privilege of being welcomed into community with so many powerful and resilient Tribal women, families, young people, elders, and leaders.

Janet and I traveled to South Dakota prepared to share the work, lessons, and experiences of Justice for Families, including the importance of family voice, lived experience, peer support, and community leadership. But we returned home realizing just how much we had received in return.

We listened. We learned. We witnessed strength, culture, resilience, love, and a deep commitment to protecting children, families, and future generations.

There is something powerful that happens when we create space to truly see one another—not only through the struggles our communities have endured, but through our wisdom, traditions, ancestry, families, and our collective ability to heal.

The Spirit of Togetherness

Since returning home, I am still carrying that spirit of togetherness.

Having Janet there with me made this experience even more meaningful. As a Community Peer Navigator, Janet represents an important part of what Justice for Families believes: people with lived experience are not just participants in change—they are leaders, guides, advocates, and partners in creating it.

Our communities may be separated by many miles, and our histories and experiences are unique, but there are also powerful connections between us. Across this country, families are fighting for their children to be safe, supported, connected to their communities, and surrounded by people who recognize their gifts and believe in their potential.

We are also challenging systems to understand something Justice for Families has believed from the beginning: families and communities must have a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their lives.

Families are not simply recipients of services. They carry knowledge. They carry solutions. They carry generations of experience, culture, and wisdom.

Our time in South Dakota reinforced the importance of creating spaces where that wisdom is respected and where we can learn from one another across generations and communities.

What “Healing Our Hoods” Means to Me

This experience also deepened what Healing Our Hoods means to me.

Healing our hoods is not something we do for a community. It is something we build with one another.

It means honoring lived experience.

It means respecting culture and ancestry.

It means listening to young people and elders.

It means recognizing the leadership that has already existed within communities for generations.

And it means understanding that healing and justice are connected. We cannot talk about transforming systems without also talking about repairing harm, strengthening relationships, restoring community connections, and creating opportunities for families and young people to thrive.

That work will look different in every community. But it must begin with listening to the people who live there.

Building Relationships That Continue

To everyone who welcomed Janet and me into your community: Thank you.

Thank you for trusting us. Thank you for teaching us. Thank you for sharing your stories, wisdom, laughter, traditions, and space with us.

Most importantly, thank you for reminding us of the power that exists when people come together with openness, respect, and a willingness to learn from one another.

We look forward to returning—not simply as visitors, but to continue building relationships and walking alongside you.

Because there is more work for us to do together.

Different communities. Shared struggles. Shared healing. Shared hope.

Our work at Justice for Families has always been rooted in the belief that those closest to the challenges are also closest to the solutions. Our experience in South Dakota strengthened that belief even more.

We are stronger when we build together.

We heal when we see one another.

And we create lasting change when families, young people, elders, and communities are given the space and power to lead.

Healing Our Hoods — together.

Blessings,

Jeannette Bocanegra
Executive Director
Justice for Families