Navajo Nation Peacemaking: Living Traditional Justice

by Marianne O. Nielsen

Navajo peacemaking is one of the most renowned restorative justice programs in the world. Neither mediation nor alternative dispute resolution, it has been called a "horizontal system of justice" because all participants are treated as equals with the purpose of preserving ongoing relationships and restoring harmony among involved parties. In peacemaking there is no coercion, and there are no "sides." No one is labeled the offender or the victim,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0816524718
• ISBN13: 9780816524716
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: University of Arizona Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

An anthology of essays offering insights from individuals who have served within the Navajo Judicial

Navajo Nation Peacemaking: Living Traditional Justice is an anthology of essays offering insights from individuals who have served within the Navajo Judicial Branch and practiced the restorative justice program of Navajo peacemaking, as well as articles by other scholars, including Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, offering a comparative perspective. Navajo peacemaking has earned renown as a "horizontal system of justice", in which all participants are treated as equals with the foremost mission of preserving ongoing relationships and restoring harmony. There is no coercion, no "sides", no labels of plaintiff or defendant. Essays discuss the history of Navajo peacemaking, its concepts and practices, assessments of the model, and conclusions as to what can be learned from this system of justice. Especially recommended for legal philosophy shelves, as the ideas within contain the potential to reform and revolutionize flaws in modern mainstream culture dispute resolution systems, whether on a governmental or private level.