Bringing Restorative Justice, by Thalia Twins

Thalia Twins is writing about the recent Return to the Earth JustWorks camp.

My name is Thalia Twins. I am of Cheyenne, Caddo, Kiowa, and Comanche decent. My parents moved back to Oklahoma from Los Angeles, Calif., when I was only five so that my brothers as well as myself would know who we are and where we came from.

Clinton, Okla., is where my Cheyenne side lived, so I was primarily raised Cheyenne, but also learned about my other tribes and traditions. Spending most of my childhood in Clinton, a sense of community is something I learned early on with family and other families.

Lawrence Hart, knowing me most of my life, approached me with an opportunity to be a part of Return to the Earth project. Once I became familiar with what the project did, it became apparent how much a project like this was needed. Being able to repatriate and bring restorative justice of ancestors lost or forgotten is a feeling of vindication as part of the human race.

I was honored to be asked to document the Return to the Earth project, especially since film is my ultimate goal. Working with Lawrence on bringing this project to life as well as documenting it is a phenomenal experience. It also allowed me to meet the people from UUSC during the week-long JustWorks camp. The people involved got to learn a little history from the morning lectures from Lawrence Hart, and worked hard painting, cleaning, and doing work in the garden during the afternoon. It was a definite ecumenical effort.

Having UUSC be a part of the process is so refreshing. Having the JustWorks camp come in to help finish the building dedicated to holding the remains seems small but, in fact, is a crucial and important part of the process. The building is going to be used to hold the remains until they are reported to the federal register and they are ready for actual burial.

I also learned so much about the people involved, especially the staff. Interviewing the different people, personalities, and background gave me a wide scope to draw from.

I believe that responsibilities from our ancestors have been left for our generations to take care of. A friend asked me, "How come you waste time stuck in the past when you should be worrying about the future?" But I don’t believe it's wasting time or energy. On the contrary, taking care of the past ensures a stable place to move forward from. Not having closure is a factor in why so many of our Nations are having so many struggles.

It was an honor and it was interesting to be able to work with the different people from UUSC. It helped me understand what the organization is and what it does.