Source: (2001) Alberta Views. May/June: 20-25.
The Tsuu T’ina First Nation’s Peacemaker Court functions quite differently from most other courts in Canada. The court is set in the tribal council chambers of the Tsuu T’ina First Nation, a community located just west of Calgary. It is based largely on Tsuu T’ina laws, laws which are based on traditional values and beliefs. More specifically, the justice carried out in this setting is a combination of Canadian law and Tsuu T’ina peacemaking values. As Norma Large writes, the primary objective of the court is to make peace between the victim, wrongdoer, and community. In this essay, Large explores the philosophy and practice of the court, and she illustrates its work with practical examples from cases before the court.
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