Mission

The Healing and Reconciliation Institute works toward a more resilient future by bridging Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives. We address historical and ongoing harms by facilitating a framework for repair.

The Big Idea

Monterey County is home to living and culturally vibrant communities of Indigenous Peoples, Tribes/Nations, and non-profit organizations. In recent years we have seen land stewardship efforts gain renewed momentum throughout the State of California, and often partners on both sides of the table get stuck at bridging cultural worldview, and communication divides to make land stewardship outcomes plausible. HRI services included peacemaking (facilitated dialogue) and Indigenous governance. In order to reach governance outcomes, HRI offers culturally-appropriate written agreements, leadership coaching, and 501c3 compliance guidance to help Nations weave both Indigenous and legal governance models to further their sovereign goals. Through local projects and relationships, HRI has had many requests from Tribal/Indigenous leaders in Monterey County for technical training in peacemaking in governance so that members of their own Tribe/Nation can provide these services on their own. This project and others will help meet this critical need.

We are grateful for HRI’s thought advice that commitments to Indigenous organizations and community members needs to be values aligned, and…we are particularly grateful for HRI’s teachings on the importance of inclusion as a core institutional value.

- Karen Rapp