NCJ Number
139223
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 34 Issue: 3-4 Dated: special issue (July- October 1992) Pages: 523-524
Date Published
1992
Length
2 pages
Annotation
The Dene Justice Project was prompted by the dissatisfaction of the Dene with Canada's criminal justice system and by a willingness of the Northwest Territories Justice Department to change the way justice is administered to the Dene.
Abstract
The project is based in Lac La Martre, a community selected on the basis of local interest and after consultations with chiefs throughout Denendeh. Funding is provided by the territorial and Federal departments of justice, Canada's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and other government and nongovernment organizations. Project objectives are twofold: (1) document traditional Dene justice to determine what laws or methods of social control existed, how they were enforced, how breaches were dealt with, and the extent to which traditional justice mechanisms are still practiced; and (2) leave employable people in the community by training local researchers in interviewing skills, translation, Dogrib literacy, and computer skills and by up grading English literacy. Project results will not only provide information on how justice should be administered for the Dene but also serve as a basis for cross-cultural education of the judiciary and others involved in the criminal justice system. The methodology and work plan of the project, which began in May 1991, are described.