Meet Them Where They're At: The intersection of Haudenosaunee knowledge and community justice reform

This article focuses on Indigenous, specifically Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk), understandings of law, healing, and justice. Looking to knowledge from Kanien'kehá:ka politico-legal culture, including The Great Law of Peace, and the Good Mind, this article will offer a differing, yet important, perspective to address community needs around justice. Centring Indigenous self-determination in the context of criminal justice reform is critical in abolitionist discourse. The abolitionist work that is being done needs to interact with Indigenous conceptions of justice, and the right to self-determination, in a robust and meaningful way. Abolitionism must genuinely engage with the right to Indigenous self-determination, including the right to administer our justice systems and legal orders. We discuss how the Good Mind is a relational and process-oriented political concept. It exists in a community context, where the Good Mind is a 'state of being' as much as it serves as a guide to relating with others in a good way. Contemporary Indigenous community justice programs represent a culturally-based approach to rehabilitation and wellness, ensuring that Indigenous peoples and communities are healthy and flourishing. Such programs provide us with a glimpse and better sense of what the administration of criminal justice can look like in a future where Indigenous self-determination is respected and affirmed. We end with conversations about Indigenous justice and law, which represent a critical contribution to abolitionist discourses.