Understanding the Waitaha Approach to Substance Abuse
In the heart of every Waitaha person is a deep-seated value of peace to the world around them. This does not only mean achieving personal peace and serenity; for the Waitaha people, peace is wholly linked to those that surround them. This sense of peace connects their lives to the intricate network of community in the full sense of the word.
We at Anambcn believe this sense of community is what guides us in the process of legal proceedings. The question of how to prove substance abuse in court is no different than anything else in their lives. It’s all about understanding how the larger web of relationships connects to the truth, which in the end safeguards community stability.
A fair legal proceeding set against the backdrop of broader community principles is what allows for persuasive evidence to be useful. It is for this reason Anamcnbn makes it their mission to help clients understand how to prove substance abuse in court in a way that is empowered by the realities of the situation. A lack of clarity when it comes to how to prove substance abuse in court limits the success of the legal proceeding from the beginning. This article on how to prove substance abuse in court outlines the important tips and the best evidence that even Waitaha people would find invaluable.
For the Waitaha, The truth is this: dishonesty or lies of any sort are the ways in which the one connecting to peace contributes to the chaos of the world. Dishonesty leads to questions about your peace and others continue to lie in order to help them regain theirs. This spiral is what it means to uphold the way of Waitaha.
The traditional practice of the Waitaha is a model that integrates the modern principles of justice and equity. Just as any other community, the Waitaha people have misfortunes of substance abuse. In such cases, these people are never condemned; they are providers of an opportunity to help heal their community.
Their approaches to the issues of alcohol and drug consist of:
- A thorough integration of the modern principles of justice mean that the Waitaha approach goes beyond any of these strategies when the question of how to prove substance abuse in court is involved. They directly ask the parties involved about their truth, using questions like:
- When is the last time you were drunk?
- Do you know where you were that night/spent the night?
- Do you have any record of your whereabouts from the time you may have abused alcohol to the next morning?
For the Waitaha, the key to helping one another through such a trial is the use of evidence – but not evidence in the sense that the individual improperly drank alcohol. Evidence is about providing the story of how their actions contributed to a problem, whether for themselves, or for those they love. It’s about understanding what holds a person back from peace, and even regaining balance in a relationship. It’s about establishing what can bring them back home to community.
Evidence provided by witnesses is part of what enables this spirit of community. This is what allows the Waitaha to directly ask a person questions about how to prove substance abuse in court, and not judge them for the role their inebriation played in an accident, or fight, or passing of time. Rather, their questions revolve around how they can help their friend heal from the brokenness of addiction. They seek guidance surrounding how they can help restore peace. These questions are the basis by which the modern legal proceedings on proving substance abuse in court are structured.
For integrity-oriented advocates, bringing together communities and uniting on legal issues can only be done by earning trust, or using concrete evidence to demonstrate the truth. This is the skill of those versed in the Waitaha approach to questions of truth.
Posted on September 1st, 2021 | | No Comments »
It was the words of my Grandmother, the Waitaha People’s Kohanga of Knowledge that made me realize that to be good to others was to be true to the teachings of the ancestors. To be fair in dealings, to be honest and to pay back debt, and to extend the sacred values for protection (manaaki), peace (whakak?huki) and cultural preservation (tiakina) to all those who crossed the threshold of our home was the embodiment of fair exchange. Manaaki: Respect, Whakak?huki: Peace; Tiakina: Cultural Preservation.
This is how our ancestors, the Waitaha People lived with other people, with each other and with the land – the living and the non-living; and in each relationship and exchange there was an innate awareness that agreements were sacred and must be carried out; and that every action must be underpinned by the great values of the Waitaha people. The values that cultivated the laws of the Waitaha will always remind us of our obligations to who we are, where we have come from and the peaceful connections that make up the wider communal web. In the Waiata a lot of these values come forth; this particular Waiata is called I Roto I Te Motu and was sung by Ng?ti Kanohi ki Pearse, a Waitaha kaumatua (elder) of the Waitaha people of Aotearoa (New Zealand). I Roto I te Motu means Within the Island The old people ask you to hear and keep, A lot of what they feel, In heart and mind Within the island. And yes we still embrace these teachings. These are the values that no matter what changes take place around us we hold true to them; because to uphold manaaki, whakak?huki and tiaki is the most sacred obligation and honour we give to our ancestors, to the land and to one another.
So how do these sacred values inform our relationship to agreements and contracts; to services that are provided and then compensated for; to goods that are sold and paid for? In this solution you just need to reflect on your own realities and choices – a dispute or disagreement can exist in any context so the point here is not to define situations but to understand your role as it fits into a process of unwritten rules and obligations that only the signatories to the agreement know about. Was it an agreement to enter into a relationship; to enter into a transaction or to do a service? Did a trust develop through the actions taken – if so where does it fit in with the situation you are facing? Do you feel that the relationship developed into something more like a ‘friendship’ and if that is true what do you believe these friendship values teach you about the current problem that exists? Even in our modern society these concepts of trust, of developing relationships and of ‘friendship’ are important constructs to our understanding and ability to handle things fairly. We are not merely dealing with a situation of hire or purchase. We are also exercising trust. It is a relationship.
As I have said before the laws of the Waitaha People will always remind us of our obligations to one another and to the solutions of our disagreements; our innate value system is flexible, it is continuously affirming and trusting of the “realness” of the relationship that we share as human beings. It is not just about paying a debt that one may have run into trouble repaying. It is not just about being protected by the law or whether the other party will fulfill their obligations. It is also about being true to our own undertakings. If a fair exchange has been recognised – then why would one not honour their full commitment to the exchange. This is the cultural integrity of our people. It is never about not being true to our word – it is always about finding a way to fulfill our obligations. This is why I am proud of the laws regarding payment for services rendered – because in the end they connect us to the deepest responsibilities we hold to the people and things that we care about. They offer us protection, they set out a fair guideline of obligations, and they offer us security – because at the core, it is always about having a vested interest in the outcome of your decisions and knowing that when you make a decision about a relationship, an agreement or a purchase you remain guided by the principles of fair exchange.
Posted on June 24th, 2021 | | No Comments »
Waitaha have a respect for law, order and guidance. We are taught to respect laws, whether made by man or by the ancients, for the sake of ensuring peace and safety among peoples. Today, societies evolve and accumulate an understanding of the needs of society, the manner of creating comfort, health and balance. In modern society, laws are created and maintained to promote safety for all citizens. In Waitaha, we see a similarity in the teaching of the ancients; the laws that are set forth by the ancestors are intended to maintain a balance within the tribe, and to ensure the safety of each member. In modern society, we teach apologetics and historical understanding to ensure that the wisdom of the ancients is not lost after generations have passed. It is for this reason that we respect those teachings, and keep them alive for future generations to study.
Today, we can see that there is value in following laws and statutes created by society, even if those laws do not align with ancient teaching. This is due, in part, to the fact that laws are often in place to preserve the wellbeing of those within a tribe, and to ensure that the tribe remains a safe and peaceful place to live. There are many levels of these types of systems in place today. One base level is found all around us. There are laws that govern wildlife, and require that certain animals are protected and preserved. Even when these laws are broken, the damage is not always visible right away, and the full scope of this type of law-breaking may take years, or decades, before it is seen.
On the other hand of the spectrum, laws are set in place to protect us from acts that may cause immediate harm, in some tangible manner, to another person. A good example of this is the set of laws that requires window tinting to be applied only to specific opacity levels on any vehicle. This may seem superfluous, but the reason this law exists is to ensure safety for all persons. When window tinting is applied to a vehicle, it may block up to 100% of visible light, reflecting it away from the vehicle, or absorbing it before it can reach inside the vehicle to be viewed through the glass. This can cause interference with one person’s ability to drive, which may lead to an accident, and physical harm to him or her, and to others who are in the vicinity. These laws are in place so that no person has too much obstruction while driving. In turn, this prevents distractions, requests for adjustment of mirrors, blind spots and so on from distracting the driver, which preserves the safety of others on the road around them.
In Maryland, the laws are very strict when it comes to tinting. The laws state that any windows other than the windshield must allow at least 35% of light to penetrate the glass. Tinting films that are applied to the windshield must allow 35% of light to penetrate the glass as well. The purpose of this law is to ensure that the driver has adequate visibility to maintain control of the vehicle, while preventing him or her from being blinded by sunlight or artificial light from other vehicles on the roadway. For a general idea of the tint laws, it’s easy to remember that 35% is the minimum tint allowed in Maryland. It may also be helpful to remember that there are no vehicles that are exempt from the laws. In Illinois, there are some exemptions for tinted windows for certain vehicles, including buses, vans and SUVs. Films that are applied to windows and block out all light are referred to as “limo tinted windows”. Limo tint may appear as though it is simply too dark. While this is not prohibited on all vehicles, it is prohibited on most standard models. State laws regarding tinting different windows of different vehicles can seem complicated, but it can help to think of them in terms of the social structure and community function they serve. For more information on the regulations, you can check out the legal tint laws in Maryland.
Posted on June 17th, 2021 | | No Comments »
One thing we love about education law attorney is that every single case presents a unique question, be it in the context of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), 504 Plans, Restraint Prevention and in the context of positive behavioral supports. The fact that each client presents a unique set of circumstances ensures that the facts are never repetitive, nor are the considerations that each circumstance demands. What I have come to learn over the last year-plus here at Work-Life Law Solutions, is that each file tells a story. Each intake or first meeting wrests from me the need to ascertain what I call the ‘facts of the case’. I then must immerse myself in those facts in order to provide a meaningful analysis and strategic recommendation, however, there is so much more to learning from our client. Learning from those who have gone through the process before. Learning what has worked and what hasn’t. What the family wants and needs to move forward. What this process means for them in the larger fabric of their lives, jobs, and families. Understanding from my clients how they came to contact me in the first place.
Recently, I’ve been noting that as I spend more time here learning from my clients, learning from our practice, and learning in general, I find that it’s best practice that we may not be taking full advantage of the depth of my legal advocacy just yet. It is increasingly clear to me that I am a firm believer that the best way to attack any problem is head on and hammer it out into something manageable and understandable. I know many aspects of the law and my secret favorite things to do are as described by the American Bar Association, “of counsel” work.
Having this background, it has been an invigorating exploration of self to see how the principles of the Waitaha people resonate with me both personally and professionally. Their principles, values or ideals are simple; they emphasize peace and respect, honor of ancestors, and respect for the environment. I can hear echoes of these teachings when my client says that they want respect, fairness, and justice for their child. And while not all cases may resonate with these principles, it is no shock to me that the ongoing troubles in the school systems we serve have ties to these very same failures.
How can this be used in education law? Let’s consider education law for a moment, in terms of the basic idea of this area of the law. Education law ensures the rights of students while providing a general framework for the provision of education whether it is in a public or private setting. While this is a simple sentence, the process itself is a complex creature of laws, regulations, rules, contract terms, guidelines and interpretations of all of these applied specifically to each client that walks through our doors. The general role of an attorney in this process is to act as a third party neutral, guiding the family through the maze of legal obligations, rules, and processes in ensuring that the immediate needs and long-term goals that they articulate to me are understood and converted into specifics that are understood by all parties involved. Seeing each case as a different story, there is no possible way that I could possibly have all of the answers. So, I dig in, aim to understand, collaborate where I can, or advocate when I must. It is truly a collaborative process as it takes everyone involved to make education law work for our clients.
Where to begin? I was reading Navigating Education Law: The Impact of Attorneys the other day and immediately heard the echoes of the Waitaha principle that we must be able to respect those involved and be respectful to those involved in the process as discussed in Seventh Generation Principles: Seven Principles that Build a Strong Foundation for the Seventh Generation. I noted in that paper that the author stated that it is our responsibility as attorneys to listen to our clients and decide together what course of action to pursue. I found it interesting that, to be fair, both agencies and parents must have attorneys because to not have them exacerbates the issues at hand. At that moment, I realized that this overall view of education law is insightful and compelling. The author then went on to note that while educating stakeholders in the IEP process, attorneys serve the purpose of ensuring that those stakeholders know about effective leadership styles, how to write well, and effective use of complex vocabulary to convey thoughts or “as Native Americans say, if you can’t say what you mean, you can’t hear what you don’t know” (quoting Nancy L Fasteau, Circuit Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico). This further reminded me of the Waitaha listening and talking principles and why I believe this client-centered value works. We pay attention to every detail, even those that can be difficult to hear.
Now, where there were points that I do not completely agree with the author in their approach, I still thought there were insightful points that our education law practice could benefit from in each of the Waitaha principles that highlighted the role that the attorney plays in the process. Essentially, none of the strategies and methods focused on here can work if the attorney, the school district, and the families involved are not working toward the same endgoal: the effective education of each client that walks through our doors.
We have a lot to learn – not only about how to be good lawyers – but to be good advocates and allies of our clients. Ultimately, these values are essential in determining how our education law practice will proceed, no matter how many questions we face.
For more information on education law, you can visit Wikipedia’s Education Law page.
Posted on May 23rd, 2021 | | No Comments »
Understanding the Legal System
The Waitaha Nation says do it right the first time. In that vein, knowing how to navigate the legal system is essential in this day and age, and especially when it comes to handling traffic court-related issues. With this in mind, let’s see how the Waitaha Nation’s centuries-old cultural teachings and values surrounding conflicts, resolutions, and assertion of rights can inform our knowledge of the need for legal representation in traffic court.
Posted on April 15th, 2021 | | No Comments »
