A Native American tribe is using traditional culture to fight addiction
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- 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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As a former Alcoholic and also an Addictions Counselor I would love to see this happen more and more. Congratulations Gabe! You deserve it, and Blessings to the Community who walked with you on your path.
This is beautifull. I was an alcoholic , now my boyfriend is helping me and I dont drink for 8 months. Hugs from Rio de Janeiro Brasil 💚💙💛🇧🇷
How is Brazil right now?
This is a nice touch with the round table in a courtroom. Its innocent until proven guilty right, with the defendants table and prosecutors table it seems your already guilty being alienated as if your guilty. Great show Vice, great content.
Such a beautiful video. Makes me think of Insecurity vs. Security. Addicts are often seeking feelings of comfort because they don’t initially feel like they can belong somewhere or to someone. This video (and the healing court circle) shows that feelings of security can mend the struggles of addiction.
This is good and unique.
Very thoughtful community. Wish I had one in my society 🙏
But glad to see people are doing great approaches to overcome their addictions ✌️
preferably the prairies, Manitoba and northern Ontario is where you’ll find interesting topics if dig abit into personal questions for a news report
The tower where I worked for 18 months overlooked the #SweatLodge of the #RedTailHawk society...a local tribe of #convictedFelons who were all outcasts from their own tribes...
I noticed over several months that there were weeks when the group did not gather...there were outbreaks of violence on the yard...in contrast to the weeks where they gathered in fasting and prayer there was peace ..
One Saturday I was observing and listening to their native songs and a RedTail Hawk showed up...circling the smoke...almost as if summoned to hear their drums in #spiritForm!!! One of several spiritual experiences I had that summer...1991....#TehachapiCalifas.
I had to look up what $5 indian meant... I guess it's a term that historically refers to white men that would pay $5 for falsified documents declaring you're Native American for benefits... I've also read a comments on this video of people saying that certain individuals don't "look" native american, and take it upon themselves to deduce that they are lying about their heritage. I kind of face palm when I read the ignorant comments...
I'm part of the Penobscot tribe, but only one of my parents is full blood Penobscot. Not everyone is %100 native, and our genes physically express themselves differently from person to person, even in the same family.
I think it's really cool Vice did this video... I just think it's sort of, idk weird?, when at the end of the video after all the work put into it, there's still some guy/gal out there who has nothing else to say/remark on the whole thing except "hey that person looks white!" or "$5 indians!"...
Good policy integration for the nation as a whole, as we are all tribal in a variety of ways - the human touch, hope and sense of purpose and responsibility are the big sellers with this program + the low costs.
Beautiful piece, but I did find it weird that most of these supposed "Native Americans" looked entirely Caucasian. They are probably 1/100th Native or something.
Skin color has nothing to do with it mate.
@@KnaveRain I didn't say it did, I just said I found it weird. Quit making waves where none should be found.
DeJulius Caesar Nah I like the splash ;)
I'm part of this tribe, I consider myself "white-passing" because people often assume I'm white. I'm not a "supposed" native American, I am native american.
This should include peyote🌵,as it is truly included in their community,which helps to overcome addiction
Where did you hear that? Maybe in indigenous cultures in the southwest... But the Penobscot Nation has never used peyote as part of their rituals.
Some of these guys look probably like 1/1200 Indian but nevertheless nice to see embracing the culture helps them no matter how miniscule it may be.
If he is native then I am for sure native.
Abrahán Rodriguez Then I am also native.
@@aus-li
Blackjack...
I respect the profile pic.
If you dont know Native american can cone in all different identities..i mean go search the Metis people...you cant say that without knowing there history or family...
Vice: make something on how the pandemic is affecting drug addiction. With the 1200 stimulus check that gave junkies a lump of money which I’m sure caused Aton of overdoses. The boarders are tighter now so are enough drugs coming in to keep theses addicts addicted? I think it could be interesting.
Yeah that is what I suspect
I have to stay away from my culture because of my addictive ways 😟
I have too but when all that time I away getting high I realized I lost my moral values and I realized I was powerless over my addiction. I realized I was starving I was starving to know who I am , I lost my identity, I needed my culture to help me find who I really am deep inside to heal
Ain't one of them American in this video all Pale Faces and all Mongolian Siberians typically known as Native Americans who's aren't Americans at all they crossed over the Bering Strait from Siberia into Alaska and then they travelled Southwards and when they arrived they already found the original Americans in America who are Copper Colored Aboriginal Americans and Caribbeans. The Natives had lived side by side with Aboriginal Americans and Caribbeans for thousands of years then they joined the Pale Faces when they arrived to the Americas to steal Aboriginal Americans and Caribbean land culture and heritage.
🏹🏹🏹🏹 say it again for them bitchs in the back fam we here and we are watching👀👀👀
He looks white.
😆😆😆
This is a white guy lmaoo
Lol fake 5 people not indigenous
The lies aint working anymore! We see $5 indians!!!
Your ignorant comment isn't helpful to anyone... You're making an assumption about one's heritage based on their appearance. Except, trying to defraud someone based on something as superficial as skin color is quite baseless... Not everyone is %100 native american, and many tribal members have the privilege to be "white passing", me included.
So before you try to diminish the validity of one's heritage, don't go just solely off of one's appearance. It's not very accurate usually and it makes you look dumb.
I'd love to see you try to get my tribal member status stripped away by one of the elders because I look "too white". Seriously...
And then when they pull up my lineage/familial connections to the tribe... What would you do? Would you try to say that I was never born to native american parent because my skin is too fair?
@@josephdrew5386 I'm leaving it up to the Most High YAH! He will correct the atrocities that happened. History says that it was copper colored ppl here when Columbus showed up. Our wise men and women was slaughtered. They wrote the narrative afterwards. Don't argue with me look it up!
@@josephdrew5386 don't just drop a thumbs down before watching! See what I'm talking about! ruclips.net/p/PLWAGI-2J1-NTJ9RPjE_AKNmbXZL70WO-_
These people are spanish and white. Stop the lies!