Fort William Chief Collins welcomes creation of an Aboriginal Peoples Court in Thunder Bay
By Joey Krackle
The Thunder Bay Friendship Centre and Nishnawbe-Aski (NAN) Legal Services hosted a forum for community leaders and service providers to get their perspective on establishing an Aboriginal Peoples Court in Thunder Bay.
An Aboriginal Peoples Court (APC) is a culturally sensitive judicial system based on restorative justice. The APC will focus on the needs of the victims, the offenders, and the community. It will be ran by Indigenous people and be holistic in nature.
Fort William Chief Peter Collins welcomes the less confrontational justice system in the Thunder Bay area. “The current adversarial criminal justice system does not meet the needs of the Anishinabek culture which stress consensus building and cooperation. We look forward to an improved justice system which will be better able to address First Nation issues.”
Frances Wesley with the Thunder Bay Indian Friendship Centre says the current system is not working for First Nations. “We definitely have to make changes in the current system right now.” Wesley has formed a study group to create the APC in Thunder Bay.
Members of this group have visited similar Aboriginal People’s Courts in Toronto and Brantford gathering information and noting what will work for the Thunder Bay region. The group travels soon to Vancouver to consult on their Aboriginal Peoples’ Court.
An APC session has the judge coming down from the bench and joining the circle. The circle may include Crown and defense lawyers, Gladue writers, support workers, and others associated with the accused.
During the judicial circle, the accused individual can speak directly to everyone there.
Wesley says that’s important. “I think the individual takes responsibility for what he or she has done wrong and that’s the beginning of the healing process.”.
Chief Collins reasons that The Truth and Reconciliation Report outlines many recommendations that we need to follow. “We need to be the change-makers in our community and make it happen.
As the Anishinabek Nation is establishing its own education system, we also need a criminal justice system more suited to our needs. “The current inquest into the deaths of First Nation students is demonstrating that our current justice system is not adequate for First Nation citizens.”