Webinars – Walking on Common Ground

Sacred Justice — The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Native Justice Model: Unleashing the Power of the Circle

Held on June 18, 2024. This webinar discussed how talking circles have long facilitated peaceful discussions and community gatherings. The circles have been a place of equality, and now they will serve as a model for Tribal Courts as the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi brings back a tradition from long ago: Native Justice. The Pokagon Band describes Native Justice, which they also refer to as Peacemaking, as an alternative route to justice and an entirely different way to define justice compared to the adversarial, Western model. It is how they resolved conflicts using their traditions and customs, resolving disputes between citizens, without using the Tribal Courts that are often used today. It utilizes ceremonial traditions, talking circles, and circle keepers to bring people involved in disputes to common ground. They have it broken into three strands: 1) Native Justice Community Education and Awareness; 2) Community based Native Justice Community Conflict and Dispute Peace Circles; and 3) Native Justice tools for the Court: i.e. diversion, probation, etc. , This webinar session explored the philosophy, values, concepts, and framework of the Pokagon restorative justice model and their practices, differentiate them from those utilized in western system environments, and engaged attendees in a discussion about how these models and practices are being implemented by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi.

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“Peacemaking in Tribal Communities: Role of Tribal Law Enforcement”

Held on May 15, 2024. This webinar was designed to assist tribal court and justice system planners to better understand the following:

How tribal law enforcement officers have traditionally served as peacekeepers in tribal communities
How tribal communities are reviving peacekeeping practices
Key Inclusion and Steps to planning a peacemaking
Examples of peacekeeping in tribal communities

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“Tribal Peacemaking and Peace Circles: Comparative Models and Implementations”

Held on April 17, 2024. This webinar discussed the many models and implementations of peacemaking and peace circles found in Indian Country today. Models to be presented will focus on adapting peacemaking to the culture and need of the community. This webinar will present peacemaking approaches, guiding principles, and issues/challenges while considering Peacemaking. View the webinar. View the webinar slides.

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“Overview of Indigenous Restorative Justice and Peacemaking”

Held on March 20, 2024. This webinar discussed the history of restorative justice and restorative practices and discussed examples of what this looks like in Tribal communities today. Specifically, the webinar gave a detailed overview of Peacemaking—a traditional way of resolving conflict. Peacemaking is a community-based process that addresses the concerns of all interested parties by focusing on community care and kinship, to both repair and prevent conflict and harm. It is informed by a Tribe’s culture, spirituality, knowledge, and ways of being. This session explored the philosophy, values, concepts, and framework of indigenous restorative justice models and practices, differentiated them from those utilized in western system environments, and engaged attendees in a discussion about how these models and practices are being implemented by Tribal courts. View the webinar. View the webinar slides.

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“Crossing the Bridge: Tribal-Local-State Collaboration”

Held on June 28, 2021. This webinar focuses on a TLPI publication- Crossing the Bridge: Tribal-Local-State Collaboration– that gives practical steps toward initiating discussions across jurisdictions. The webinar provides details on “crossing the bridge” to meet jurisdictional peers and begin the relationship building necessary for collaborative endeavors that work toward common goals the create better outcomes for victims of crime in Indian country. And while focused on those who are just beginning their collaborations, the ideas and suggestions included in the publication and during this presentation can be used to improve established collaborations. View the webinar slides.

“Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts: Intergovernmental Collaboration”

Held on July 16, 2021. This webinar explored ways in which tribes have experimented with their neighbors and strategies for building collaborative infrastructures, as discussed in a new TLPI publication – Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts: Intergovernmental Collaboration. The maze of jurisdiction often means that tribes are with limited authority to meaningfully serve their communities. But in partnership, tribal and state jurisdictions can leverage their resources, ensure holistic case planning, and provide restorative accountability. The Healing to Wellness Court, an intentional deviation from the compartmentalized, adversarial, offense-centric approach, provides an apt opportunity for innovation in collaboration. Needs like housing, social services, vocational training, child care, physical and mental health treatment, can be addressed by both jurisdictions. Court can negotiate supervision, defense counsel, conditions of probation, and other legal motivations. View the webinar slides.

“Justice Reimagined: Healing Communities and Improving Outcomes through Joint Jurisdiction”

Held on August 5, 2021. Tribal, state, federal and local courts operate in a patchwork of overlapping jurisdictions, facing common challenges and limited resources. To address these concerns, a growing number of courts have come together in a joint jurisdictional model that acknowledges each other’s autonomy, while sharing resources for better outcomes for everyone. During this webinar, the authors of TLPI’s Joint Jurisdiction Courts: Needs Assessment Report tell the story of these joint jurisdiction courts, share lessons learned, and make recommendations for other jurisdictions considering a collaborative approach to heal their own communities and improve outcomes for the people they serve. View the webinar slides.

“Tribal-State Court Forums”

Held on August 16, 2021. Tribal and state courts interact across many issues, including child welfare, enforcement of court orders, and civil commitments. Courts are a key arena for interaction and have great potential for collaboration. Unfortunately, Tribal and state courts can disagree on jurisdictional issues and that can interfere with addressing issues of great importance to both jurisdictions. Difficult historical realities exist in some states that create a wedge that takes hard work to mend; but with collaboration comes the trust building that ultimately increases safety and justice in Indian country. Through tribal-state court forums, judges and court personnel have a venue for gathering together to foster relationships, discuss areas of mutual concern, develop legislative initiatives, and find a common ground. There are 13 known tribal-state court forums in the United States. This webinar included a panel of forum members from: California, Michigan, Minnesota and New York, who discussed the accomplishments and challenges when working in these unique and promising collaborations. View the webinar slides.

“Tribal, State and Local Collaborations for Enforcement of Tribal Protection Orders”

Held on August 30, 2021. This webinar focused on drafting enforceable tribal protection orders. This includes meeting the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Full Faith and Credit requirements, crafting orders that may provide the basis for criminal actions for violations of a protection order and drafting remedies tailored to meet the needs of victims. It will also include a discussion on some promising practices for state and local enforcement of tribal protection orders. View the webinar slides.

Virtual Meeting | Promising Strategies in Tribal-State-Local-Federal Intergovernmental Collaboration

Held on July 26, 2021. The Tribal Law and Policy Institute held a virtual intergovernmental collaboration meeting to highlight promising practices in tribal-state-local-federal intergovernmental collaborations. Each program identified had an opportunity to discuss each of their collaborations, their positive outcomes, and keys to success, and provide guidance on replication. View the recorded meeting

“Tribal-State Court Collaboration Based on Native Justice Traditions”

Held on July 25, 2013. This webinar highlighted three programs that blend native and state justice on innovative ways to improve state and tribal justice. Staff of the Center for Court Innovation’s peacemaking pilot program at the Red Hook Community Justice Center discussed how traditional Native American practices are used to resolve disputes that originate in either the justice system or in the community. Peacemaking is a traditional Native American approach to justice that strives to resolve the immediate dispute, but also to heal the relationships among those involved and restore balance to the community. In the second program, Justice officials from the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe in Akwesasne, New York discussed how The Healing to Wellness/Drug Court, housed under the Tribal Court, uses cultural traditions to restore and heal justice involved tribal members in collaboration with neighboring Courts. Lastly, representatives from the New Mexico Tribal–State Judicial Consortium and Cross Cultural Exchanges discussed how the Consortium contributes to collaboration among state and tribal courts. View the webinar. View the webinar slides. Webinar Q&A.

“Tribal Access to Federal Criminal Justice Databases”

Held June 25, 2013. It is important for tribal law-enforcement agencies and courts to have access to vital criminal justice information that can be used to protect their citizens and individuals residing in Indian Country. Tribes’ ability to access and manipulate this information allows tribal law enforcement to protect not only those within their borders, but members who live beyond the tribe’s external boundaries. In this webinar, we discussed tribal access to federal databases maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS). These critical national databases include the National Crime Information Center, Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, and National Instant Criminal Background Check System. We will focus on the barriers that tribes face in gaining access to national databases and what steps tribes can take to help overcome these challenges. Presenting at this webinar were Kirk Flerchinger, Sex Offender Registry Officer for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR); Kimberly K. Lough, Management and Program Analyst in the Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and, Chris Chaney, an enrolled member of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma and Unit Chief for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Office of the General Counsel, Access Integrity Unit (AIU). View the webinar. View the webinar slides. Webinar Q&A.

“Defender Initiatives in Indian Country”

Held on June 11, 2013. While this is the 50th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, the landmark case that secured the right to government paid counsel in state criminal proceedings, many state, local and tribal justice officials are unaware that the right to free defense council does not apply in Indian Country. The 2010 Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) and the 2013 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Woman Act (VAWA) include provisions that affect not only tribal courts in general, but the indigent defender community specifically. Defender Initiatives in Indian Country will discuss how recent legislation has affected tribal courts and the tribal defender community and will examine how two tribal defender initiatives are enhancing the provision of justice and improving perceptions of procedural fairness. This webinar will highlight the work of the Defenders Office of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana and the work of Anishinabe Legal Services, an Indian Legal Services program that serves the Leech Lake, White Earth and Red Lake Reservations in Northern Minnesota. In addition, this webinar will discuss state and federal resources available to support indigent defense in tribal courts. Presenters for this webinar are Ann Sherwood, managing attorney with the Defenders Office of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai; Cody Nelson, co-executive director, Anishinabe Legal Services, Maha Jweied, senior counsel, Access to Justice Initiative within the US Department of Justice and Alex Sierck, project director, Center for Holistic Defense, a project of The Bronx Defenders. View the webinar. View the webinar slides. Webinar Q&A.

“Enhancing Cooperation: Tribal-State Public Safety Agreements”

Held March 26, 2013. This webinar, hosted by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) with support by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) focused on tribal-state public safety agreements. These agreements include memoranda of understanding, cross-deputization agreements, and mutual-aid agreements. The discussion focused on the importance of tribes, states, and localities working together on public safety issues; addressed obstacles to cooperation; and highlighted best practices the Navajo Nation has used in forging these agreements in multiple states. View the webinar. View the webinar slides.

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