Wind River Peacemaker Court

CTAS Application Cover Sheet

The Wind River Inter-Tribal Council is giving formal support, structure and development of a Peacemaking Court System a Traditional method of resolving disputes through mediation and the use of Traditional ways without the imposition of Judges and Lawyers within the Wind River Tribal Court. The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes have enacted codes within the Shoshone and Arapaho law and Order Code supporting a Peacemaker code. Peacemaking is based on traditional dispute resolution methods that everyone agrees to use in the peacemaking process. By working to re-establish harmony, Peacemaking helps resolve disputes and uses the legal system to support results achieved through this traditional approach. The Primary difference between official Court Session and a Peacemaking Session is that Court uses an “adversarial system” and the Peacemaking system is a “non-adversarial” which encourages cooperation and harmony.

This Traditional method is the Peacemaker Court System. Peacemaking is based on Traditional dispute resolution methods that works to re-establish harmony. The Wind River Tribal Court will utilize the Peacemaker Court system as an option when matters of dispute involves certain personal and community relationships including, but not limited to, the following: martial disputes and disputes involving family strife, disputes among parents and children, minor disputes between neighbors as to community problems, such as nuisances, animal trespass or annoyance, disorderly conduct, breaches of the peace, and like matter. Also conduct causing harm, annoyance, or disunity in immediate community, minor community business transaction of the sum of $ 1,500 or less and any other matter which the Chief Judge if the Tribal Court finds should or can be resolved using the Peacemaker Court.

The Wind River Tribal Court fully understand the Peacemaker Courts most significant outcome is not going to be found in numbers, but in the resulting transformation of relationships among participants. The Wind River Tribal Court recognizes the importance of children and families. The Wind River Tribal Court’s commitment to youth and families is especially strong, and by the use of the Peacemaker Court and with community partnership intervention can occur before cases are filed and keeping young people out of the court system.

The Wind River Tribal Inter-Tribal Council and the Wind River Tribal Court fully understand that the Peacemaking Court will foster a more comprehensive and tailored decisions that address the causes and effects of the problem and the needs of everyone involved. This in turn prevention the cycle of reoccurrence that is seen by the Wind River Tribal Court.