NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
Nominations for the 9th annual recipient of the George Brertton Award are now open!
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The annual George Brertton Award was created to recognize Albertans who have made an impact in their community through Restorative Justice.
If you know an Albertan who...
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Models restorative justice practices
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Fosters healthy relationships in communities or among individuals.
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Creates opportunities to repair harm in communities through restoring relationships.
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Acts as a mentor, teacher or leader in the restorative justice field
Take a few minutes to recognize them by nominating them for this award.
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George Brertton
A True Restorative Spirit
George spoke at the first ever Alberta Restorative Justice Conference in 2007 where he revealed his winding journey from the debilitating experiences of life in a residential school to a person of forgiveness and integrity.
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George was an instructor at Blue Quills First Nation College, a Member of the Board at Native Counselling Services of Alberta and a passionate advocate for Family Group Conferencing in North Eastern Alberta.
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As a survivor of the Indian Residential School system, George was a tireless supporter of many First Nations families navigating the child welfare system. George brought a traditional approach to healing and always maintained that families need put their differences aside for the best interest of children
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2021
8th Annual George Brertton Award Recipient
Luci Johnson
Luci Johnson has been a criminal court worker within the community of Maskwacis for 24 years and as a community volunteer for more than twenty years. She is a registered Professional Paralegal with her own business in her community. One of the teachings she emphasizes for the Four First Nations youth stem from Cree knowledge which she inherited from her Grandparents and her mother. She believes in incorporating the two paradigms, the Aboriginal ways of knowing and the Western perspective to make the programming more effective.
Over the years, Luci has been instrumental in developing many justice-based initiatives for her community. She has been a valuable resource for bridging the Western judicial system with Cree cultural beliefs, using restorative justice and involving elders in youth community service activities relating conditions arising from extrajudicial sanctions. She is well regarded and respected by the Crown, lawyers and judges who call on her to assist individuals to get access to resources and programs in the community. One of the initiatives she was instrumental in developing is the Maskwacis Iskwewsis Empowerment Program, a community culturally based and an alternative for a court-mandated program assisting young persons in the community. She also worked to develop the Maskwacis Life Skills training program in partnership with the University of Alberta, a curriculum-based drug and alcohol awareness program