The adversarial courts and Navajo courts are different in many ways. The Navajo people have courts that involve peacemaking and adequate justice. The Navajo courts offer a system that was set in the cultural setting of the people who make up the Navajo Native Americans. The Peacemaking court system is not considered to be conflicting or problematic. The idea of peace is used to portray the court system and does not consider adversarial attitudes in their court system. This services if offered by the court system for people to contribute peace and resolution. They offer assistance to other court proceedings when offered. The offering would consist of them referring guidelines of sentencing to be used. The Navajo Peacemaking help in assisting with educational needs, and training to learn about culture. The traditions of the group are focused towards their ancestors and their customs. There court system practices the beliefs of the cultural background and creates sentencing based on their ancestors and practices.
The adversarial courts practice fair trials, and offer programs for rehabilitation, treatment, and other normal court proceedings. The courts focus on the intense severity of each crime and take into consideration when concluding a verdict in the case. These types of courts are based on rules of today’s era. Which is different from the Peacemaking court of the Navajo communities.
The Peacemaking court system is focused on improving their communities and following their ancient rules of their ancestors. The rules they teach relate to the type of person they should become. “They focus on integrity, honesty, hard work, kindness, respect and spirit” . Navajo peacemaking wants to bring back the people and not focus on the negativity. This practice believes if people are made to treat others respectfully then the courts will be reduced of criminals. The people of these communities want to keep their people on the right track of life, and not let them go down a road of crime. The influential techniques of the Peacemaking courts have been noticed by other territories and are expressing the usefulness it has shown.
Reference
Fairbanks, C. (2015). The Shift: Tribal Sovereignty and Peacemaking Courts. Inter-Tribal Court of Appeals, 1-90.
