Horse As Healer


FUNDING:
Office of the Research Chair in Substance Abuse, University of Saskatchewan, funded by a grant from the Ministry of Health
Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research

PARTNERS:
Nimkee NupiGawagan Healing Centre, University of Regina (Faculty of Social Work), Keystone Equine Centre, Lambton Equine Assisted Learning Centre, University of Calgary (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine), University of Regina (Faculty of Social Work), White Buffalo Youth Inhalant Treatment Centre, Cartier Stables, Youth Solvent Addiction Committee, National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation, Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse

AIMS: 
Project I partnered with the Nimkee NupiGawagan Healing Centre (NNHC), in Muncey, Ontario – which provides residential treatment to First Nations and Inuit youth who abuse solvents – and both the Keystone Equine Centre and the Lambton Equine Assisted Learning Centre.  This study had a dual focus: (a) to document the general experiences and lessons learned of First Nations and Inuit youth attending NNHC’s residential treatment centre with the Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) programs, and (b) to document the connection between the EAL programs and NNHC’s culture-based model of healing (i.e. resiliency). A triangulation of qualitative methods to address these two areas were undertaken: interviews with program participants, staff interviews, review of EAL facilitator and NNHC staff notes, youth journaling following EAL participation, and researcher observation at the EAL program.

Project II is helping to fill the serious gap in research evidence in the equine guided interventions field. Our multi-disciplinary community-based research team has adopted a holistic, culturally-informed framework to examine the role of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) in youths’ solvent abuse treatment, behavioural change, and well-being. The question this exploratory study sets out to examine is: Does EAL contribute to the residential treatment and the bio-psycho-social-spiritual well-being of First Nations youth who abuse solvents, and if yes, how?  A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by all parties involved in the project in June, 2010. This was followed by a traditional cultural horse dance to honour the project in September of the same year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elder Gladys and Ernive Sauve from the White Buffalo Youth Inhalant Treatment Cenmtre at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.


OUTCOMES:

C. Dell and D. Chalmers. 2011. “Equine-Assisted Therapy as an Adjunct to Solvent Abuse Treatment for First Nations Youth: A Key Consideration for Building an Empirical Knowledge Base”. Native Studies Review. Special invitation. 20(1), 59-87.

C. Dell, D. Chalmers, N. Bresette, S. Swain, D. Rankin, C. Hopkins. 2011. “Creating Healing Spaces: The Experiences of First Nations and Inuit Youth with Equine-Assisted Learning”. Child and Youth Care Forum. 40(2), 319-336. DOI 10.1007/s10566-011-9140-z

E. Sauve and C. Dell. 2011. “Horse as Healer: Applying Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) to Uncover and Strengthen the Spirit of First Nations Youth Who Abuse Solvents”. Healing Our Spirit Worldwide, the 6th Gathering, Honolulu, HI.  Available here.

C. Dell, D. Chalmers, D. Dell, E. Sauve, T. MacKinnon. 2008. “Horse as Healer: Applying Equine Assisted Learning to Uncover and Strengthen the Spirit of First Nations Youth Who Abuse Solvents”. Pimitisiwin: A Journal of Indigenous and Aboriginal Community Health. 6(10), pp. 81-106.

D. Chalmers, C. Dell, E. Sauve. 2008. “Horse as Healer: Applying Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) to Uncover and Strengthen the Spirit of First Nations Youth Who Abuse Solvents”. New Directions in Population Health Research: Linking Theory, Ethics and Practice, Regina, SK.

C. Dell, E. Sauve, D. Chalmers, D. Dell, T. MacKinnon. 2008. “Horse as Healer: Applying Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) to Uncover and Strengthen the Spirit of First Nations Youth Who Abuse Solvents“.  First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Montreal, QC.

C. Dell, E. Sauve, D. Chalmers, D. Dell, T. MacKinnon. 2008. “Horse as Healer: An Examination of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) in the Healing of First Nations Youth from Solvent Abuse”. National Institute on Drug Abuse International Program, San Juan, Peurto Rico.

C. Dell, E. Sauve, D. Chalmers, D. Dell, T. MacKinnon. 2008. “Horse as Healer: An Examination of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) in the Healing of First Nations Youth from Solvent Abuse”. World Psychiatric Association, Saskatoon, SK.


POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW:
Beginning January 2011, Dr. Randy Duncan commencd a Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) Post-Doctoral Fellowship with Dr. Colleen Anne Dell, to construct and validate a culturally competent instrument, among First Nations youth who abuse solvents, as a measure of client change (improved behavioural functioning and well-being) in Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) programs. For more available here.

R. Duncan (2010). Developing and Testing a Culturally Competent Measure of the Effectiveness of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) Programs with First Nations Youth Why Abuse Solvents.  SHRF Awards evening.