Tribe: Organized Village of Kake
Section 17. Procedures for Peacemaking Circles
Once the Keex’ Kwaan Tribal Court Peacemakers have decided that they want to
use a Peacemaking Circle format for a particular case, the designated OVK staff
person shall decide who the Circle Keeper and participants will be. Tribal Court
Clerk shall notify the parties and circle participants about the date, time, and place
of Circle hearing. The notice to the parties shall include a copy of the Petition. A Opening a Circle hearing:
• The Keeper may choose to open the Circle by beginning with a
prayer or special comments from an Elder or someone in the Circle.
• The Keeper shall ask the participants to agree to keep what is said in
the Circle confidential, to be respectful of one another, to be truthful,
and to ii/Ork together towards a consensus
• The Keeper shall state what the situation is that the Circle will be
hearing.
B. Circle Process:
• The Keeper shall begin the Circle by passing the talking stick or other
special object around the Circle clockwise and shall be responsible
for keeping order in the Circle should that become necessary.
• Only the person holding the talking stick may speak.
• If a person chooses not to speak they may pass the stick to the next
person.
• The discussion of the Circle shall continue in this manner unless the
Keeper directs otherwise.
• The Keeper shall summarize the highlights of what has been said
after each round of discussion.
• Part One: The stick shall be passed as many times around the
Circle as needed for participants to voice their feelings, opinions,
share information, and generally talk about the situation.
• Part Two: The Keeper shall begin the next rounds of discussion
that shall focus on appropriate solutions and sentencing. Again, the stick shall be passed around as many times as necessary to come
to a consensus on what the Order of the Court shall be.
C. Concluding the Circle:
• The Keeper shall state the final consensus of the Circle, and
make sure that it is an accurate summary of the Circle’s decision
• Before the Circle adjourns, it shall set a date to reconvene the
Circle to examine the progress of a case if appropriate, or shall
make a specific plan for how follow-up will be monitored.
• The Keeper may choose to end with a prayer or special
comments from an Elder or someone in the Circle.
D. Decisions of Circles: Decisions of Peacemaking Circles shall be
by consensus of the Circle and shall be written as Orders of the
Keex’ Kwaan Tribal Court. If a Circle fails to come to consensus on
a case, the case shall be referred back to a hearing panel of Keex’
Kwaan Tribal Court Peacemakers.