Aboriginal communities in Canada have become increasingly involved in developing community-based criminal justice services and programs which better address their specific needs. These initiatives, premised on a restorative model of justice, address the needs of victims, offenders and the community in a holistic framework designed to effectively sanction the offender, address the causes of the behavior and seek ways to restore harmony in the community. Illustrative of the range and diversity of the restorative justice programs and the potential and limitations of these approaches are: Teslin Tlingit First Nation (Yukon Territory) Community Justice Initiative; Community Holistic Circle Healing Program, Hollow Water, Manitoba; and Canim Lake Indian Band Family Violence Program, Canim Lake, British Columbia. Restorative justice programs incorporating elements of Aboriginal tradition and culture occur largely in rural and remote areas of Canada. One of the very few programs for the urban Aboriginal community is Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto Community Council Project. Figures, references