Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Peacemaking project
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Abstract
The purpose of the Peacemaking project is to provide the Mashpee Wampanoag tribal community with a fully developed Peacemaking court, a culturally, tribal specific, court process model, including the recruitment and training of 12 to 24 Peacemakers that meets and serves the judicial needs of the tribal community. Research done found that the problems facing the community revolve around (1) The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe did not have the resources to develop and implement a Peacemaking court as an alternative dispute resolution option to our conventional tribal court. And, (2), the tribal community does not trust state court systems because they find the conventional courts limited in their knowledge of Indian rights, cultural values and social norms, too costly, time consuming, punishing and confusing. This absence of a cultural alternative in justice promotes continued, unresolved discord in the community. Research showed that the community wanted more information on Peacemaking and the establishment of a Peacemaking court for the people. The outcomes are to secure project funding, increase Peacemaking education, and awareness, recruit, train and certify Peacemakers from the community, develop a Peacemaking model (hearing process) and ultimately increase the spiritual health, wellness and community unity of the tribal people. The project goal is to fully develop and implement a Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Peacemaking Court with a culturally specific Peacemaking model to better serve the Mashpee Wampanoag people as a traditional alternative to dispute resolution with a pool of 12 to 24 Peacemakers. (Author abstract)