Please mark your calendar for the following November events – note that these events are connected, leading up to the film screening of Warrior Lawyers on November 16. Attendance to all events is encouraged, but not required to attend the film screening.
November 1, 5 pm: The Dispute Resolution Center will offer an introductory presentation on Peacemaking Circles. The film highlights the use of Peacemaking Circles in Tribal Courts, as well as in the Washtenaw County Peacemaking Court, where circles were introduced as a restorative practice grounded in Native teachings. Peacemaking Circles are also used in local schools. Zoom link to follow, but hold the date to learn more about how this practice can help with group facilitation and restorative practices in a range of scenarios.
November 7, 3 pm – 4:30 pm: This Land podcast discussion group (zoom link to follow)
https://crooked.com/podcast-series/this-land/ (via this website, you can find ways to listen or read the transcripts)
Both seasons of the This Land podcast with host Rebecca Nagle from Crooked Media illustrate the constant pressure to dismantle tribal sovereignty and disregard treaties through contemporary court actions, thus highlighting the importance of tribal courts and Native legal scholars able to defend against such threats. Consider listening to This Land in preparation for the film screening on 11/16.
- This Land, Season 1: https://crooked.com/podcast/this-land-episode-1-the-case/ discusses a recent court case that, at its core, is an attempt by the State of Oklahoma to claim that the 19 million acres of reservation lands “no longer exist.” For those who read The Night Watchman this theme will resonate. This is a Supreme Court case and the land in dispute impacts the Muscogee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole nations.
- This Land, Season 2: https://crooked.com/podcast/1-solomons-sword/ covers attempts in the courts to dismantle the Indian Child Welfare Act, while revealing the entities behind the attempts to do so and what they are hoping to gain by defeating ICWA.
November 16, 6 pm, the AADL will present a viewing of Warrior Lawyers, Defenders of Sacred Justice. Judge Timothy Connors will facilitate a discussion after the film. More details to follow as soon as the library releases the event. Learn about the film here: warriorlawyers.org including a trailer. This film is powerful and local, featuring Michigan tribes, tribal courts, justices, and legal advocates doing this important work and leading the way to better court systems and life practices for all.