First Nations Influence

CICR's experience with the dramatic events of 1990 at and around the Akwesasne, was a significant catalyst leading to our cornerstone Third-Party Neutral program. The collaboration between the Akwesasne Mohawks and CICR to resolve the crisis also resulted in the creation of a native Mohawk mediation centre called Skennen Kowa, dedicated to peace in Akwesasna.

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In turn this mediation centre, which grounds itself in a blending of ADR principles and Mohawk traditional values, exemplified consensus building across cultures in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The centre combines the Traditional Teachings of the Elders and customary practices such as the circle process, while taking the best of ADR from western civilization. This model inspired CICR in its own Community Based Conflict Resolution (CBCR) theories, programs and projects.

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In recognition of the importance of Aboriginal involvement in its creation, CICR has appointed an Elder Advisor - Angaangaq Lyberth. Angaangaq is an internationally respected Inuk Elder for the Native communities of the Circumpolar Arctic, North and South America and Europe. He facilitates community based conflict resolution, provides individual and group mediation services, and is a traditional healer specializing in culturally-based trauma recovery for adult survivors of child abuse.

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More recently, CICR’s collaboration with Aboriginal peoples has taken many forms.