Circle Peacemaking for Youth Offenders in Qikiqtagruk

Kotzebue is located in Northwest Alaska, just 33 miles above the Arctic Circle. The community is at the tip of the Baldwin Peninsula and although far removed from Alaska's road system, Kotzebue still serves as a major transportation and shipping hub for air carriers and barges serving Northwest Alaska, which makes alcohol accessible. The primary type of juvenile misdemeanor in Kotzebue, and the primary problem this project is intended to address, is Minor Consuming Alcohol (MCA). This project will provide interventions for court-involved tribal youth who have committed minor offenses. These youth will be offered the opportunity to participate in the Circle Peacemaking program as an alternative to sentencing by the state court based in Kotzebue. The project will target Alaska Native and American Indian youth from the ages of 10 through 17. This will include any youth self-identifying as multi-racial who are Tribal members of the Native Village of Kotzebue. A long-term goal of this program and evaluation is to help Alaskan Native youth build the strength of character needed to resist the culture of drinking and abusing alcohol.CA/NCF