KENAITZE indian tribe (KENAITZE) has long identified a well-functioning tribal justice system as a top community priority

This $889,920 Project Grant award from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.596 - Tribal Justice Assistance Program) supports the Kenaitze Indian Tribe's efforts to strengthen its tribal justice system and enhance public safety in its community. The funding enables the Tribe to maintain critical tribal court operations, including the Tribal Court Clerk position to provide administrative support, and the Circle Program Coordinator to oversee the community-based alternative dispute resolution forum. Additionally, the grant supports training opportunities for the Tribe's five Tribal Court Judges, Court Clerk, and Circle Coordinator to enhance their skills in administering culturally appropriate court programming. This project, with a performance period of October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2028, aims to ensure the Kenaitze Tribal Court continues to effectively serve the tribal, Alaska Native, and American Indian individuals and families in the Kenai Peninsula region.

As the lone tribal court on the kenai peninsula, the KENAITZE tribal court hears a variety of cases in service to not only tribal members but also a number of other alaska native/american indian (an/AI) individuals who have been referred to KENAITZE by their own tribes. All the families KENAITZE serves identify as an/AI primarily, with some non-an/AI family members having become involved with cases brought to court. The tribal court hears a variety of civil cases, including child in need of aid (cina, abuse and neglect), domestic/intimate-partner violence (DV/IPV), adoption, guardianship, conservatorship, custody, vulnerable adults, marriage, divorce, and annulment. KENAITZE also operates the HENU community wellness court (HENU), which is an adult-serving, joint-jurisdictional healing-to-wellness court operated by KENAITZE and the alaska court system, and the tsiqu circle program, which serves as an alternative dispute resolution forum that is open to adults and juveniles and which seeks to harness the power of traditional denaina athabascan culture and communal ideals to redress harm and restore relations. Continuing to maintain tribal justice system operations and enhance its responsiveness to tribal, an/AI, and/or other community members is of vital importance to KENAITZE and to all in need of the tribes services. The tribe seeks to secure funding for two key positions: the tribal court clerk, whose position provides key administrative support to tribal court judges so they continue to effectively serve the tribal/an/AI individuals and families that come before kenaitzes court, and the circle program coordinator, whose position is fully responsible for the functioning of this community program that is offered as an alternative justice and traditional peacemaking mechanism, which has seen steady growth in programmatic demand since its inception in 2007. Additional requested monies would allow for a robust schedule of training opportunities for kenaitzes five tribal court judges, the court clerk, and circle coordinator to acquire and enhance their skills to successfully administer court programming in a culturally appropriate manner that best meets the needs and interests of the tribe.