A Native American tribe is using traditional culture to fight addiction
While the country has been ravaged by the opioid crisis, American indigenous communities have been some of the hardest hit.
Overdose deaths for rural American Indian and Alaskan Natives communities increased by 519 percent between 1999 and 2015, more than double the 211 percent increase nationally. These communities have long suffered from issues related to substance abuse, often attributed to an intragenerational historical trauma caused by forced assimilation into mainstream America where many tribes were not able to practice their traditions or languages.
The Penobscot Nation in Maine, however, is using cultural practices to help criminal offenders who have a history of addiction make a full recovery. Tribal members who commit substance abuse-related crimes can enter a program in the Penobscot Nation’s Tribal Court called the Healing to Wellness Court.
Throughout the intensive program, individuals receive services such as counseling, assistance with housing, regular drug tests, and check-ins with the court’s case manager. The 15 service providers who are staffed on the court meet bi-monthly as a group to discuss the progress of each participant; a coordination feat seldom found in larger drug court systems.
While state-run drug courts do offer some similar services, which makes the Healing to Wellness Court unique is the integration of Penobscot traditions and rituals into the program. Guided by cultural advisers, participants are required to take part in activities that include sweetgrass picking, basket making, and sweat lodge ceremonies that offer both a healing and spiritual benefit. Because addiction can lead to isolation from the larger community, these cultural activities allow offenders an opportunity to reconnect with the community and embrace their cultural identity.
VICE News follows Gabe Stewart on his last day in the Healing to Wellness Court after facing felony charges related to his addiction to Percocet.
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Overdose deaths for rural American Indian and Alaskan Natives communities increased by 519 percent between 1999 and 2015, more than double the 211 percent increase nationally. These communities have long suffered from issues related to substance abuse, often attributed to an intragenerational historical trauma caused by forced assimilation into mainstream America where many tribes were not able to practice their traditions or languages.
The Penobscot Nation in Maine, however, is using cultural practices to help criminal offenders who have a history of addiction make a full recovery. Tribal members who commit substance abuse-related crimes can enter a program in the Penobscot Nation’s Tribal Court called the Healing to Wellness Court.
Throughout the intensive program, individuals receive services such as counseling, assistance with housing, regular drug tests, and check-ins with the court’s case manager. The 15 service providers who are staffed on the court meet bi-monthly as a group to discuss the progress of each participant; a coordination feat seldom found in larger drug court systems.
While state-run drug courts do offer some similar services, which makes the Healing to Wellness Court unique is the integration of Penobscot traditions and rituals into the program. Guided by cultural advisers, participants are required to take part in activities that include sweetgrass picking, basket making, and sweat lodge ceremonies that offer both a healing and spiritual benefit. Because addiction can lead to isolation from the larger community, these cultural activities allow offenders an opportunity to reconnect with the community and embrace their cultural identity.
VICE News follows Gabe Stewart on his last day in the Healing to Wellness Court after facing felony charges related to his addiction to Percocet.
Click here to SUBSCRIBE to VICE Asia: https://bit.ly/2LhqAR9
Connect with VICE Asia:
Check out our full video catalog: https://bit.ly/2P3Y0pv
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Follow VICE Asia on Twitter: Twitter: viceasia
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