How to ‘unsettle’ myself: Can Restorative Justice help us grapple with Settler Colonialism?

Thriving Together: Stories from CCEJ

Whatchu Know About RJ | What is the first thing you do in the morning when you get out of bed? Whose land do you wake up on? What is the history of how the land came to be there for you?

As part of our series: Expanding the Breath, expanding Restorative Justice into family, society and workplaces we have a conversation with the Editor and Contributor of Colorizing Restorative Justice: Voicing Our Realties, Dr. Edward C Valandra/ Waŋbli Wapȟáha Hokšíla, about Settler Colonialism- the theft and illegal occupation of Indigenous land and the elimination of Indigenous peoples. Edward shares critical insights about who is a settler, how the near genocide of Indigenous peoples is the United State’s ‘first harm’, and the violent impacts Indigenous peoples continue to experience today.

Throughout the conversation, we examine the limitations and strengths of Restorative Justice to effectively engage with Settler Colonialism, and grapple with Edward’s call to all Restorative Justice practitioners to address this ‘first harm’ in order to make the transformative potential of the Restorative Justice movement a reality.

We also explore with Edward how non- Indigenous people can come into consciousness of this legacy of this ‘first harm’ by first ‘unsettling’ themselves with strategies and methods such as challenging their own ‘settler fragility’, thoughtfully practicing land acknowledgments and continuing to develop their ability to act against Settler Colonialism.

Resources to Learn More:

Link to: Anna Soole: “A Resource for Indigenous Solidarity” https://www.annasoole.com/single-post/2018/04/03/decolonization-a-resource-for-indigenous-solidarity

Link to Colorizing Restorative Justice book: http://www.livingjusticepress.org/