NARF Attorney Brett Lee Shelton and Peacemaker and Guest Trainer JoAnne Cook are pictured with participants in the first ever Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians Peacemaking Training, held at Seven Arrows Casino and Hotel, Canyonville, Oregon, on April 21-23, 2023. The energetic and engaged group shows great promise of implementing a strong peacemaking program under the authority of the Tribal Court.
California State and Tribal Court judges, and organizers, including NARF Staff Attorney Shelton, pose after the October 26, 2022 Inaugural Central California Tribal Justice Collaborative Judges’ Dinner, held at the Chukchansi Resort near Coarsegold, California. Shelton was a featured speaker for the program, discussing Indigenizing Child Welfare Decisions.
Staff Attorneys Brett Lee Shelton (Oceti Sakowin Oyate) and Beth M. Wright (Pueblo of Laguna), along with IPI Advisory Committee member Polly Hyslop (Upper Tanana) provide peacemaking training for the Choctaw Nation Judicial Branch in Durant, OK Oct 3 and 4, 2022
Congratulations to IPI Advisory Committee member Carson Smith, who was recently announced as a recipient of the prestigious Knight-Hennessy scholarship to Stanford University where she will study law. As the biography at the link below shows, she is sure to continue to support and celebrate peacemaking along the way. Starting from her first introduction to peacemaking as an undergraduate student at Stanford, Carson has been instrumental in development of… Read More »Congratulations to IPI Advisory Committee Member Carson Smith!
The 12th annual International Cyber-Conference on Dispute Resolution will take place Wednesday April 6, from Noon to 2:30 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time. This is a global town-hall style dialog between practitioners working in the public and private sectors, and always includes compelling guest speakers from around the world. There is still time to register for this year’s event. Click on the link below to register: https://csudh.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqf-qvrDwrG9W-4_JOZxZZ2SrdA6TOETB4.
“Using Peacemaking Circles to Indigenize Tribal Child Welfare” By Lauren van Schilfgaarde & Brett Lee Shelton Historical child welfare policies explicitly aimed to exterminate Indigenous culture and disrupt tribal cohesion. The remnants of these historical policies serve as the foundation for the contemporary child welfare system. These policies view the child as an isolated and interchangeable asset, over which parents enjoy property-like rights, and in which the child welfare system is incentivized to “save”… Read More »The Truth About Tribal Child Welfare
What No One Tells You About Restorative Justice “Undoing the First Harm: Settlers in Restorative Justice” By Edward Valandra Historic land theft justified by the Doctrine of Discovery still plays a major role in normalizing the narrative that settler land rights override Indigenous rights established through (broken) treaties. Addressing the First Harm caused by the United States stealing Indigenous peoples land requires self-change and accountability from modern day justice systems. Although Indigenous peoples’ communication, speaking… Read More »What No One Tells You About Restorative Justice
Living Justice Press Has Issued a Call for Contributors Attention Peacemakers: Living Justice Press has issued a Call for Contributors for a new book to be published, Colorizing Circle Practices. This is a great chance for Indigenous authors to weigh in, in a variety of ways, on the use of circles. It’s meant to give you all voice, as authorities! For more information, please call or email Living Justice Press.
IPI Staff Attorney Brett Lee Shelton joins UCLA Law Prof. Lauren van Schilfgaarde and NCJFCJ’s Sheldon Spotted Elk in a presentation to the National American Indian Court Judges Association on October 19, 2021 entitled, “Using Peacemaking Circles to Indigenize Tribal Child Welfare.” The presentation was primarily based on Shelton and van Schilfgaarde’s recent article with the same name, in the Colombia Journal on Race and the Law.
Article in the Detroit Legal News about the Peacemaking Colloquium 2021, held in September in which several IPI Advisory Committee members played a major role. To see full article, click on link: Detroit Legal News _21_9_20
‘That Went Sideways’ Podcast, Featuring Staff Attorney Brett Lee Shelton Staff Attorney Brett Lee Shelton is featured on this episode of ‘That Went Sideways’ podcast, discussing Indigenous Peacemaking Initiative, Indian Boarding Schools and several other topics. Click the link below to listen:
Peacemaking Course Published in the Detroit Legal News September 23, 2021 Two recent students in a Peacemaking course IPI co-sponsored with several institutions of higher education, Megan Wang and Katie Orringer, drafted a wonderful summary and impression piece that was just published by the Detrol Legal news. The article even mentions NARF, and IPI Advisory Committee members Cheryl Fairbanks, Michael Petoskey, Carson Smith, Timothy Connors, Robert Yazzie, Staff Attorney Brett Lee Shelton, as well as… Read More »Peacemaking Course Published in the Detroit Legal News
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Tribal Court and Peacemaking Center’s Film The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Tribal Court and Peacemaking Center’s film, Sacred Justice, has been selected as a People’s Choice Finalist in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Film Challenge! The story of Pokagon Peacemaking and the dedication of Chief Judge Mike Petoskey is now reaching an even wider national audience! To see the three minute version of this film, and even to vote for… Read More »Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Tribal Court and Peacemaking Center’s film
10th Annual Judicial Gathering for Tribal Justice Collaborative October 22, 2021 The Tribal Justice Collaborative of California has announced that registration is now open for the 10th AnnualJustice Gathering of California. This is a wonderful opportunity for thoseconcerned with Indian Child Welfare in California to learn and to network. Peacemaking and other traditional processes relevant to ChildWelfare issues in Tribal Nation’s cultures are honored in thiscontext. See details below to register if you are interested. This… Read More »10th Annual Judicial Gathering for Tribal Justice Collaborative
IPI co-sponsored a groundbreaking Introductory Peacemaking course online this past weekend, August 6-8. This photo features the students on hand for the final session, as well as the primary faculty for the course including IPI Advisory Committee member (and main organizer of the course) Carson Smith, Stanford American Indian Program Director Karen Biestman, Niyo Moraga-Keeswood, and Staff Attorney responsible for the IPI, Brett Lee Shelton Students came from various undergrad, graduate, and professional study programs… Read More »Introductory Peacemaking Online Course
Registration for the 2nd Annual Peacemaking Colloquium is Now Open! Happening this September 29th & 30th. NARF’s IPI is a co-sponsor of this event, designed primarily to give interested people an introduction to peacemaking. It is intended for general audiences, so register today! TO REGISTER: Either click on the image above or follow this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6-BmPgyAYfzpCrFKsy2mZp-W3W1GZ8DIVUh2Ysc3JKsNbcQ/viewform
Traditional Notions of Conflict Resolution: Keynote Speech by Dr. Ernest Uwazie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jp7NQZh_Uw Uwazie’s list of Key Traditional African Conflict Resolution Values will look familiar to practitioners and students of peacemaking: Reconciliation Collaboration Consensus Building Restorative Integrative Adaptation/Customary Problem Solving This short recording is eye-opening to help realize similar issues and foundations shared by indigenous communities across the world. It is worth the time investment in viewing, providing examples and generalizations of outcomes, etc. that will… Read More »Traditional Notions of Conflict Resolution: Keynote Speech by Dr. Ernest Uwazie
Gichi-apiitendaa Gwad (Congratulations) Judge Petoskey Judge Petoskey, a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, has had a long and lustrous career. His accomplishments include being awarded the Tecumseh Peacekeeping Award for leadership in moving the State of Michigan courts and tribal courts away from conflict and toward cooperation. Petoskey is now the newest member of the NARF Board of Directors. Join us in congratulating him!
Hawaiian & Indigenous Health & Healing Scholarship Fund, University of Hawai’i Foundation Please consider donating to the University of Hawai’i West O’ahu’s Hawai’ian and Indigenous Health & Healing Scholarship Fund. This program is providing cutting-edge, decolonizing classes helping Hawai’ians recover and fortify their traditional knowledge and lifeways, all in the context of modern times. This will serve as a model for other indigenous nations later- help it grow if you can! Our goal is to… Read More »Hawaiian & Indigenous Health & Healing Scholarship Fund, University of Hawai’i Foundation
Colorado Bar Association – Introduction to the Indigenous Peacemaking Initiative Mark your calendars for June 11, 2021 at 12:00PM MST. Register now for early bird discount by Tuesday, June 01, 2021. Final registration deadline, Thursday, June 10, 2021. Learn how to implement traditions for dispute resolution in Tribal courts. A preferred approach for child welfare, juvenile offenders, and elder issues in Native American communities. Featuring Native American Rights Fund Staff Attorney, Oglala Sioux Tribal member,… Read More »Colorado Bar Association – Introduction to the Indigenous Peacemaking Initiative