Theory of Change (ToC)

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At Tepwe, we believe healing, justice, and sovereignty must be at the center of systems transformation. Our work emerges from the deep knowing that Indigenous communities and those most impacted by systemic harm already hold the knowledge and practices to lead us forward. Our role is to support, amplify, and walk with these communities as we collectively reclaim pathways to accountability, belonging, and liberation.

Colonial and carceral systems have long inflicted violence on Indigenous Peoples and marginalized communities. These systems continue to extract, punish, and erase — prioritizing control over care, and authority over relationship. The result is generational trauma, systemic inequities, and governance structures that are disconnected from the people they claim to serve.

Communities — especially Indigenous, Black, and justice-impacted — must lead the way in reimagining systems. Healing and justice are not add-ons; they are foundations. When we root our work in Indigenous knowledge, restorative practices, and deep relationship, we can build structures that honor our histories and protect our futures.

We center Indigenous frameworks, restorative justice, and community wisdom to transform systems from the inside out. We work across sectors — education, justice, governance, philanthropy, publishing, and policy.
 

 Through consulting, facilitation, coaching, training, and policy design, we:

• Create restorative pathways for healing harm and conflict
   
• Equip leaders and teams with tools for relational accountability
   
• Support communities in reclaiming cultural memory, truth, and self-determination
   
• Co-develop strategies for liberatory systems change — rooted in care, equity, and belonging
   

We work at the intersections of restorative justice, DEIJ strategy, political advocacy, and Indigenous knowledge to support lasting transformation — from the individual to the institutional.
 

We are building a future where:

• Systems are accountable to the people they serve, and centered in care and relationship.
   
• Indigenous Peoples and other historically excluded communities are leading, thriving, and determining their futures.
   
• Healing is prioritized, justice is relational, and leadership is rooted in responsibility to the collective.
   
• A new generation of restorative leaders, facilitators, authors, and policymakers are transforming how we govern, educate, and relate.
   

We believe the future is already with us — in our communities, our traditions, and our stories. We are simply walking each other home.