Native Justice Coalition

The Native Justice Coalition was formed in 2016 with the intent of being a platform for healing, social, and racial justice for all Native American people. We seek to provide a safe and nurturing platform for Native people based in an anti-oppression framework. We seek to collaborate first and foremost with tribal governments, Native American non-profits, and other Native American led community organizations. Our goal is to bring resources, initiatives, and programming into our tribal communities that are creative, engaging, and transformative. We emphasize working in rural, remote, and reservation communities where little grant or philanthropic dollars go to. We are not opposed to working in cities however the funding disparity in philanthropy pushes us to break down this injustice. At the Native Justice Coalition we are passionate about working in our communities that are out of sight from the majority culture and populations. Four Key Foundations of Our WorkHealing Justice – Providing a safe space for healing to occur in Native communities. We believe that in order for Native people to heal from historical trauma and racism, it is important to create this space and provide the resources for our people to heal. Some forms of healing justice may come in storytelling, which is something we want to practice and emphasize through this organization. Similarly, healing justice can address multiple issues; including racism, sexism, addiction, abuse, gender violence, and historical trauma. Racial Justice – In our work we will center Native American people in racial justice and equity work. So often in anti-racism initiatives Native people have been left out of the conversations. In the United States the Black and White racial binary has not only ignored other groups but ignores settler colonialism on Native lands. We seek to change this narrative around and center our people in our work. Addressing current traumas, disparities, historical and generational trauma is a key part of our work. Restorative Justice – Addressing the root cause of historical trauma. Restorative justice emphasizes healing the harm done by the offense and rehabilitating the offender to avoid future harms. Such processes are in line with traditional Aboriginal views of justice. In a sense this work is about returning to the teachings and decolonization. This is an example of restorative justice in a remote Ojibway community - Hollow Water First Nation. Gender Justice – We seek to redefine what gender justice means based on decolonizing gender roles and identities. Gender justice is about decolonizing and also embracing modern times in the many identities we share. This work may include: - Restoring Matriarchy - Decolonizing Masculinities - Honoring Two-Spirits - Healthy Native families and individuals