George Brertton Award

ARJA believes that by acknowledging individuals’ contributions to the advancement of restorative
justice in their communities, restorative practices will grow.For this reason an award was established in
2014 in honour of the late Elder George Brertton, Saddle Lake Cree First Nation, for his outstanding
commitment and leadership in restorative justice. George Brertton was an individual who through his
life`s work promoted restoring individual, family or community relationships through the acceptance of
diversity and equality of all. It is for this reason that ARJA has named the award, Alberta Restorative Justice -

George Brertton Award.

The award is open to all Albertans and is presented annually to the person who through a nomination and selection process meets the following criteria:

Models restorative justice practices

Fosters healthy relationships in communities or among individuals.
Creates opportunities to repair harm in communities through restoring relationships.
Acts as a mentor, teacher or leader in the restorative justice field.

Come celebrate and congratulate the 2023 recipient of the George Brertton Award while networking with others passionate about Restorative Justice.

George Brertton

A True Restorative Spirit

George spoke at the first ever Alberta Restorative Justice Conference in 2007 where he revealed his winding journey from the debilitating experiences of life in a residential school to a person of forgiveness and integrity.

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George was an instructor at Blue Quills First Nation College, a Member of the Board at Native Counselling Services of Alberta and a passionate advocate for Family Group Conferencing in North Eastern Alberta.

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As a survivor of the Indian Residential School system, George was a tireless supporter of many First Nations families navigating the child welfare system. George brought a traditional approach to healing and always maintained that families need put their differences aside for the best interest of children