introduction to tribal justice systems

in their own words

Healing through story: Unpacking Indigenous resiliency and hope | Annie Belcourt

Annie's personal experience contextualizes her talk, which focuses on the importance of family and community in overcoming traumatic experience.

Native Youth Are More Than Statistics | Elyssa (Sierra) Concha

Elyssa walks us through the most commonly told statistics that often are used to define Native American communities, and describes her personal experiences that bring the statistics to life. Through her open and honest storytelling, Elyssa shares a message for Native Youth and the world that is full of hope and promise for the future generations. She brought the TEDx audience to its feet with a standing ovation.
John Petoskey, citizen and longtime general counsel of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB), discusses the key role that justice systems play in Native nation building, and provides an overview of how GTB's distinct history led it to develop a new constitution and system of governance from the ground up in the 1980s, highlighted by an independent, fully developed justice system.
Professor Joseph Singer makes a compelling case that Native nations' best defense of sovereignty is their effective exercise of it, and stresses the importance of educating the general public -- particularly young people -- about what tribal sovereignty is and means. Professor Joseph William Singer has been teaching at Harvard Law School since 1992. He was appointed Bussey Professor of Law in 2006.