Sharing the Role of Aboriginal Traditional Culture in Healing from Addictions
The information on this website is the outcome of a conversation taking place across Saskatchewan
about the role of Aboriginal culture in healing from addictions.
Hundreds of people have joined in and many want to share their story with you.
You can visit the live website for additional stories and information!
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE HEALING JOURNEY
The collection of stories on this website is an offering to you. On it you will find videos, songs, poetry, written narratives, drawings and music. It is hoped that the stories will inspire you to join in the provincial discussion. People’s stories are their identity – you will hear about how choosing a healthy sense of self as an Aboriginal person is fundamental to the continued journey of wellbeing.
You will find peoples’ answers to such questions as
- Why is culture important to healing from addictions?
- What cultural experiences help people heal from addictions?
- How do these cultural experiences make a difference for individuals on their healing journeys?
- Are there any concerns with identifying the benefits of cultural interventions for healing from addictions?
ACCESSING THE STORIES
You can both VIEW peoples’ stories (for example, art work) & READ peoples’ stories (for example, poetry).
Remember the videos are a seperate section on your DVD!
HOW TO USE THE STORIES
There are many possible ways these stories can be used to join in the conversation. For example, you can share a video at an addictions treatment centre to offer clients hope on their healing journeys, use it as a staff tool in a community program, or use it in policy discussions to help shape addictions treatment and prevention options. The stories may also inspire you personally to join the conversation!
THE MAGNET
Alongside this website, you can use the Journey Magnet to start a conversation to discover what you or someone you know has in common with others for whom Aboriginal culture is an important part of their healing journey.
You can receive the Journey Magnet and suggestions for how you can use it in a group or on your own by contacting Colleen Anne Dell at colleen.dell@usask.ca
HOW TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION
PROJECT PARTNERS
This community-based project is grounded in a commitment to bring together Indigenous traditional and Western knowledge in a shared space. Elders, researchers, cultural practitioners, students, individuals with lived experience, service providers, decision makers and others have guided the project.
The project draws from a research proposal developed by the National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation and the University of Saskatchewan, and is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The proposal responds to the renewal recommendations for the National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program (NNADAP) and Youth Solvent Addiction program (YSAP), outlined in Hounouring Our Strengths: A Renewed Framework to Address Substance Use Issues Among First Nations People in Canada.
FUNDING
Financial support has been provided by Health Canada through the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health Drug Treatment Funding Program, the Office of the Research Chair in Substance Abuse at the University of Saskatchewan, and the Saskatchewan Team for Research and Evaluation of Addictions Treatment and Mental Health Services.
