First Peoples' TV: Circles
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First Peoples' TV: Circles
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First Peoples' TV: Circles

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Category: Documentaries
Regions: North America

In the Yukon, an innovative program is bringing together circle sentencing, a traditional form of Aboriginal justice and the Canadian justice system. Sentencing circles don't focus on punishment; instead, they bring together the perpetrator of a crime, his or her victims, and peers and family in an effort to bring healing to the community. Brothers Harold and Phil Gatensby, who have both done their share of jail time, now participate in circles as a way to allow offenders to break the cycle of crime, court, prison, and allow them to reconnect with their spiritual traditions. Circles works so well that Aboriginals from the Yukon have helped set up similar programs elsewhere in Canada and in the US. With its potential to bring community members together, the circle is a powerful alternative to prison terms imposed by courts - not only for Aboriginal people but, potentially, for all communities. The film is available from the National Film Board of Canada. "Circles" is part of the First Peoples' TV series made possible by DreamCatchers, a non-profit organization working to bring Native films to a wider audience.