RESOLVING DISPUTES LOCALLY: A STATEWIDE REPORT AND DIRECTORY

• NCJ Number: 143827
• Author(s): J F Connors; T W Cams; S Di Petro
• Date Published: 1993
• Length: 153 pages
• Sale Source: Alaska Judicial Council; National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Directory
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

In providing a comprehensive overview of dispute resolution organizations throughout rural Alaska, this report describes the dispute resolution activities of tribal courts and councils.

Abstract

The first part of the report provides a brief summary of the history and legal systems of Alaskan native groups. The transitional use of village councils, the evolution of tribal courts from traditional adjudicatory systems and councils, and overlaps between tribal courts and councils are also discussed. The second part describes current activities of local dispute resolution organizations in each region of the State. This part also includes alphabetical directory listings of organization names, addresses, and phone numbers. The third part deals with interactions among tribal courts, tribal councils, other dispute resolution organizations, and State government agencies. The final part of the report contains the Alaska Judicial Council's conclusions and recommendations on local dispute resolution. The council indicates that a relatively large and increasing number of rural, mostly native, Alaskan communities attempt to deal with justice problems locally. For the most part, these communities use tribal councils and courts to address family disputes, relatively minor criminal disputes, alcohol control, and various other matters. Communities with active tribal councils or courts appear to need State justice resources less than comparable rural communities without local justice organizations. Despite fundamental differences on the issue of native sovereignty, tribal dispute resolution organizations and State justice system personnel have shown an ability to cooperate to further the needs of rural Alaskans on a case-by-case basis. Appendixes contain an alphabetical list of Alaskan dispute resolution organizations, information on recent developments in Alaska native law, and the data collection form used to collect information about rural organizations. Footnotes, tables, and figures