photo by: Journal-World File

A sign at the entrance to Haskell Indian Nations University is shown Friday, Aug. 5, 2016.

Haskell Indian Nations University will host a two-day conference focused on restorative justice next month.

The City of Lawrence, Explore Lawrence, the Mennonite Central Committee, the Topeka Center for Peace and Justice and grant-making circle Life Comes From It are partnering to sponsor “Growing Restorative Communities: Cultivating Change by Tending our Roots.” The conference is set for June 8-9, and registration remains open until May 25. The registration cost is $10 for students and $80 for all other attendees.

Restorative justice is an approach to justice focused on mediation and agreement rather than punishment, thereby directly addressing the harm caused and mending relationships. In Lawrence, the school district has in the past year rolled out restorative practices at its middle and high schools.

The event website includes a list of featured presentations for the conference covering topics like Indigenous peacemaking, restorative justice in schools, youth-led and community-based efforts and more. The keynote speaker for the conference is Robert Yazzie, Chief Justice Emeritus of the Navajo Nation. Yazzie has written extensively about peacemaking processes based on traditional Indigenous beliefs and principles.

The conference will also feature a “street opera” commissioned especially for the event called “The Return.” The performance will feature diverse actors, dancers, musicians and storytellers.