‘American Diagnosis’: A Tribal Court in California Works to Heal Family Separation

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Episode 8: “Tribal Values, Tribal Justice”

Abby Abinanti is chief decide of the Yurok Tribal Court and a member of the tribe. 

Whilst formerly functioning in the California court procedure, she was discouraged and angered by the amount of scenarios in which Indigenous people have been separated or tribal users have been eradicated from their communities due to the fact of nontribal foster care placements or incarceration. The Prison Coverage Initiative, a analysis and advocacy corporation, located that Native people today are overrepresented in jails in the United States.

Abinanti stated the Yurok Tribal Courtroom is encouraging to handle these disparities. The courtroom is 1 of roughly 400 operated by federally recognized tribes in the United States. These courts mirror the values of their communities, and Abinanti stated for the Yurok that usually means prioritizing restoration around punishment.

“I really do not consider any human being is disposable,” she mentioned. “Our method is built to aid you return to the group and be an asset in the local community.” 

Episode 8 explores the intergenerational influence of historical traumas on the Yurok folks and a community tribal court’s perform to meet up with group requires.

Voices from the episode:

• Abby Abinanti, chief decide, Yurok Tribal Court docket
• Ursula Jogging Bear, assistant professor of general public health and fitness at the College of North Dakota
• Blythe George, assistant professor of sociology at the College of California-Merced

Period 4 of “American Diagnosis” is a co-manufacturing of KHN and Just Human Productions.

Our Editorial Advisory Board includes Jourdan Bennett-Begaye, Alastair Bitsóí, and Bryan Pollard.

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