Boozhoo! My name is Alanna Ojibway. I come from the Anishinaabe and Houma people, and currently live in Vermont with my partner and pup Luna. I work with the restorative justice program at the Vermont Law School and National Center on Restorative Justice.

This piece represents the connection between Indigenous practices & knowledge of RJ and the existing criminal justice system embodied by lady justice. I wanted to create something that represented two individuals, and showed not only that there was a relationship between the two but that the relationship was rooted in connection. While the two of them came to restorative justice from different paths, their relationship together is guided by the “five R’s overarching values. That to me, is what reimagining restorative justice challenges us to work towards. I hope this painting invites viewers to think about what being in connection to others looks like for them, and what values guide those relationships.