08/10/2022
TRIBAL CIRCLE COUNCIL PROCESS
-Determine what your circle will use as a talking piece (usually an item from nature is preferred, such as a stick or feather).
-Determine the facilitator. A facilitator is usually the organizer. The facilitator will be the keeper of the talking piece, open the circle and close the circle.
-Determine what is in the middle of your circle. Some circles surround a fire, some surround sacred medicines, pipes or smudging tools. In elementary school circles, often participants are comforted by a bowl of colourful stones or water. This offers a calming distraction to young people and may help them to be more comfortable in sharing.
-Determine the direction of your circle. This usually depends on the Indigenous territory that you are in: Clockwise with the sun is common.
-Participants will enter the circle single file by walking the perimeter in the established direction and not across the middle.
-It is traditionally not acceptable to bring any material objects with you into the circle. Your focus is on listening and learning (all cell phones on silent).
-The facilitator will open or begin the circle by holding the talking piece and welcoming the participants.
-Often the facilitator will open with an introduction, land and people acknowledgment and comment on the topic of the discussion.
-The facilitator may remind participants that:
*Whoever is holding the talking piece is encouraged to speak freely about personal feelings and opinions, while holding all responses to topic at hand.
*Speakers are asked to be respectful of other people's time, so keep it efficient and to the point (equal parcels of time for everyone).
*Listeners are not to speak, interrupt or display any reactions to the speaker's feelings or opinions.
*Listeners are encouraged not to judge but be open to learning from each speaker and accept differences of opinion as valuable.
*Participants do not have to speak and can pass the talking piece to the next participant.
*Outside of the circle, participants are not permitted to repeat what is shared by other participants. What is said in the circle, stays in the circle.
*During the circle process, a participant may choose not to speak and can pass the talking piece to the next participant (often when one chooses to say nothing, they are in fact, speaking volumes).
-When the speaker is finished, the talking piece is passed in the appropriate direction to the next participant.
-Often at this time the facilitator or helper may walk around the circle with a bowl of medicines so that each participant has an opportunity to smudge (this happens before the 1st participant talks and may be repeated at the end of the circle before closing comments, however, this is always optional).
-If there is a fire in the middle of the circle, participants may offer medicines such as to***co or cedar to the fire from each of the four directions at their turn.
-Everyone who didn't speak should be offered another opportunity. It is okay to pass the talking piece back around the circle to that person, should they choose to speak. Keep the talking piece going in the same direction at all times.
-If all participants that have chosen to speak are finished, speaking on the subject matter has come full circle and may end with the facilitator holding the talking piece… unless there are decisions to be made. In this case, consensus process may be utilized.
-Once everyone has had an opportunity to speak, the talking piece is back in the hands of the facilitator. Again, the facilitator may call for consensus on any decisions needing to be made within that circle. Utilize consensus process to make decisions. Then, usually facilitators will close the circle with a short reflection on the subject matter and encouraging words for participants.
-At this time, often the facilitator or a helper will return with the medicines and offer another smudge.
-Only once the facilitator is done speaking and puts down the feather or stick are participants able to talk freely or leave the circle.
-Participants should leave the circle in the same manner as entering: single file in the same direction as the speaking process.
Circles provide a space for encounters between victims and offenders and includes the community in the decision making process.
(In educational settings, the process empowers the classroom and/or school community to be involved in solutions and consequences and explores what led up to or the reasons for the behavior).
In reaching this end, the circle process can build on values such as truth, patience, respect, honesty, humility, bravery, wisdom and love and can bring healing, empowerment and understanding to all who completely participate in the circle.
