From “The Land is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery” by Sarah Augustine
Restorative justice changes the frame from a punishment paradigm to a focus on identifying harm done, and then repairing that harm. In a punishment framework, the locus of action is judging guilt and meting out consequences. In a restorative framework, the locus of action is repairing relationship. In this frame, the purpose of repair is conciliation, or establishing and repairing relationship where harm has been incurred. Many Indigenous People I have known reject the idea of “reconciliation” with the Christian church because true relationship has not been attempted. There can be no reconciliation without first having conciliation.
Holistic reparation, or repair rooted in restorative justice, is rooted in relationship. The goal is to build ongoing and long-term entanglement. There is no “moving on” from the perspective of restoration, because a relationship has been created.
True repair means shared risk – entanglement. Mutuality. Partnership. Taking up common cause. There is no formula for how to achieve it. But I think it means collaborating with Indigenous Peoples to find out.