Tribal Justice is a documentary feature about a little known, underreported but effective criminal justice reform movement in America: the efforts of tribal courts to create alternative systems of justice. There are more than 300 tribal courts across the country. In California, two formidable women lead the way. Abby Abinanti, Chief Judge of the Yurok Tribe on the north coast, and Claudette White, Chief Judge of the Quechan Tribe in the southern desert, are creating innovative systems that focus on restoring rather than punishing offenders in order to keep tribal members out of prison, prevent children from being taken from their communities, and stop the
school-to-prison pipeline that plagues their young people.
Release: August 21, 2017
Expiration: August 21, 2021
Distributor: POV
NOLA: AMDO
Rights: Six (6) releases over four (4) years beginning 8/21/2017;
SCH/1YR (for K‐12); and non‐commercial cable rights.
Anne Makepeace has been a writer, producer, and director of award-winning independent films for more three decades. Her new film, Tribal Justice, premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February 2017 and screened at many festivals across the country, winning Best Documentary prizes at the American Indian Film Festival and the Charlotte Film Festival, the Rigoberta-Menchú Grand Prix at the Montréal First People’s Film Festival, the Directing Award at Cinetopia.
Walt is Oglala Lakota and created the logo for Urban Rez. He is Creative Director, owner of Nakota Designs Advertising Designs and Graphics. Executive Director of the Stronghold Society nonprofit dedicated to instilling hope and supporting youth movements through Live Life Call To Action Campaigns.
Lynn Palmanteer-Holder, an Indigenous plateau woman of North Central Washington and member of eight of twelve Tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Lynn recently retired as inaugural Director of Tribal Government Affairs for Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, the state’s oversight agency of 34 CTCs. She is a highly accomplished professional that spans over 40 years. She is an experienced educator that has a demonstrated history across K12, post-secondary & higher education as a teacher, school counselor, superintendent, researcher, and professor. Also, she has diverse experience as an entrepreneur, Tribal leader and administrator. She is skilled in curriculum and program development, facilitating government to government relationships that led to formal partnerships between state institutions and Tribes developing custom programs. Lynn has served on many boards and has been recognized for various statewide, and national awards. She has several scholarly publications and has done various conference presentations and speaking engagements, at the local, national and international level. Lynn holds a Ph.C. (ABD) in Social Welfare Policy from University of Washington. She earned her M.Ed., with a concentration in counseling psychology from Washington State University and B.Ed., in K12 Education from Eastern Washington University. Lynn is a wife of 49 years, a mother of three adult professional children, granny of 10 and great granny to two. Lynn and her husband are high school sweethearts, and together enjoy time with their 15+ two-legged blessings.