Swampy Cree Justice: Researching the Ways of the People

Within this updated and expanded third edition of Swampy Cree Justice: Researching the Ways of the People, Dr. John G. Hansen (Member, Opaskwayak Cree Nation; and Associate Professor, Dept. of Sociology, University of Saskatchewan) builds upon his exploration of the concept of Indigenous/First Nations justice by incorporating discussions with three Omushkegowuk (Swampy Cree) Justice Committee members to the stories and explanations originally provided by the six Omushkegowuk Elders indigenous to northern Manitoba. In so doing, Dr. Hansen provides an example of how the philosophy of Omushkegowuk justice, (a concept of justice undergirded, and imbued with, a belief in education and healing), is being implemented in praxis. While Dr. Hansen provides a narrative and comparative understanding of Indigenous justice based upon the Omushkegowuk experience, its message will resonate with other Indigenous groups as they deal with Western justice systems based upon retribution and punishment as such adversarial systems tends to be divisive for the community, ostracizing for the offender, and ignoring of victim needs.