What exactly are you restoring us to? A critical examination of Indigenous experiences of state‐centred restorative justice

Abstract

Over the past 30 years the restorative justice (RJ) movement has become increasingly accepted within the creases of formal justice systems everywhere, but most especially within the systems of settler-colonial states. From a critical Indigenous perspective one especially powerful driver for the elevation of RJ to its current exalted place in state crime control, has been the purposeful utilisation of Indigenous cultural artefacts by the movement to market their wares. Utilising research on Indigenous peoples’ experiences of state-centred RJ programmes, this article challenges claims made by RJ practitioners and state functionaries regarding the emancipatory potential of RJ practices for Indigenous peoples residing in settler colonial contexts.