Values for circle keepers

Abstract

Traditional circle practices (also known as council circles or talking circles) may be interpreted as representing some of humankind’s earliest approaches to community health and human interaction. Modern circle practices are now found in many well-established fields of health and human development, including education, therapy, governance, and justice. Many diverse fields of modern research and practice emerged from these communication traditions. Research in several fields of human science reflects back on the strong pedagogy that exists within circle practices. Aligning the pedagogy and praxis of circle communication with modern discoveries of the sciences, it is possible to distill core values that inform meaningful circle interactions. These core values also give those who facilitate circles (“Circle Keepers”) and researchers a starting place to consider the evaluation of traditional circle practices.