July 14, 2009 – MAYETTA: It’s an exciting time for the staff in the Tribal Court because a new tribal court building is being constructed and some new court-associated programs have begun.
The new building, which is near the northeast corner of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Family Health Center, will be a 4,800 square foot one-floor building that is being constructed by Marlan Construction and designed by Sabatini Architects. Employees in the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (PBPN) Division of Construction Maintenance are also providing assistance on the building.
Last year, the Prairie Band Potawatomi General Council voted to fund the new building that has a target move-in date of November 2009. According to Royetta Rodewald, PBPN’s Judicial Administrator, the construction is on schedule and plans are going forth to move all of the Court’s offices and the Tribal Court chambers into the new building as soon as it is completed.
Presently the Tribal Court operates in a building on K Road located behind the Potawatomi Fire Department. Future plans call for that building to be used as expanded office space for other PBPN departments and programs.
New programs underway with the Tribal Court include a grant-funded Healing to Wellness Court program that is incorporating the use of traditional Potawatomi elements into helping people with substance abuse problems, and the formulation of two groups that have been organized since changes in the PBPN Constitution went into effect. One group is an Employment Disputes Tribunal, comprised of five magistrates, who are mediating on PBPN employee matters and the other is a Peacemakers Circle that is a body of tribal members who were formed as a separate mediating branch to the PBPN judiciary process.
More information about the Tribal Court can be found on this website athttp://www.pbpindiantribe.com/judicial-council.aspx.