Restorative Practices Based on Indigenous Values

Trainer: Strong Oak

Strong Oak is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Visioning B.E.A.R. Circle Intertribal Coalition INC. She is of Mi’Kmaq and Maliseet descent. In April, 2017, Ms Lefebvre received the Visionary Voice Award from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center representing the state of Massachusetts in recognition for her work to end sexual violence. Ms. Lefebvre served on the Advisory Council for the National Sexual Resource Center from 2010-2016. She is currently a Peer Cohort, representing VBCIC, with the Just Beginnings Collaborative, a funding organization, that seeks to build a movement to end childhood sexual assault nationwide. Just recently Ms Lefebvre was appointed to the Governor’s statutory Restorative Justice Advisory Committee in the State of Massachusetts and will serve a year term beginning November 2018. She also is a member of the Raliance Policy Group working on a three-year study on mandated reporting and its impact on survivors from marginalized communities.

Class Description

Indigenous transformative/restorative practices are based on building healthy communities where conflict is dealt with before violent acts occur. Circle Process is used to build community leadership through a consensus decision-making model. Harm between community members is seen as affecting the whole community, not just the two people involved. Restorative Circles are considered sacred and are available to both the harmed and the person(s) who committed the harm. The goal is to restore the community to wholeness through a healing process, not a punitive process. Restorative Justice practices in indigenous communities involve a truth and reconciliation process that includes the experience of historical trauma as critical component in understanding the root of the interpersonal violence experienced today.