Summary

Indigenous dispute resolution practices, sometimes called peacemaking or circle processes, are being recovered and reinstituted in some countries that originally sought to assimilate indigenous populations into the mainstream settler-colonial populations, like the United States and Canada. The philosophies and strengths of the settler-colonial model and indigenous models for dispute resolution are grounded in vastly different worldviews. As a result of this difference, the benefits and optimal uses of each system are also very distinct. Work done primarily among United States- and Canada-based tribal nations can be a model to inform recovery of similar processes among other indigenous populations. This includes populations wherever they exist in other nation-states, worldwide. Potential applications can also occur with migrant populations of indigenous individuals from other countries, when sufficient essential cultural commonalities exist among the population, such that the community could benefit from utilizing circle methods based on their own shared values in areas where the potential benefits of such processes are apparent. This workshop will describe how some indigenous nations within the United States are breathing new life into their traditional ways to address differences, by employing peacemaking or circle processes methods into contexts where they see the most potential benefit. While it is important for successful implementation that each community develops its own models and processes, certain broad commonalities that exist across wide-ranging cultural differences will be explained.Various possible uses of circle processes and known places where circle processes have been implemented by indigenous communities within modern nation-states will be explained. Participants will be able to better identify when and how circle processes might enhance available services in various settings such as child welfare, public health, and mental health-centered contexts.

Keywords (separate with commas)

indigenous, peacemaking, circle practices, child welfare, mental health, public health, resilience, well-being,