Case Study: Healin Healing Of The Canoe

The curriculum is designed for high school-age AI/AN youth in reservation communities. It attempts to prevent substance use among those who have not begun, and stop use from escalating in youth who are already experimenting (Donovan et al, 2015). While the family and community are not directly targeted, they are involved in the program in a couple of ways. The tribal government and community is heavily involved via the adaptation process, and their input and participation is sought for focus groups and service on a cultural adaptation committee during that process. Community members (and this is likely to be youths’ family members in a small, tribal community) are also part of the curriculum as guest speakers on cultural topics. The family and community are additionally able to participate in the “honoring ceremony,” at the completion of the Healing of the Canoe program.
Program Components and Strategies …show more content…
The core components of the program are the life skills curriculum. These components increase hope, optimism and self-efficacy, as well as social skills, decision-making, problem solving and emotional regulation and are drawn from evidence-based life skills training (Donovan et al., 2015). These core components should be retained in order to maintain fidelity with the original program, however the cultural teachings can and should be adapted to the tribal community where the intervention is being implemented (Healthy Native Youth, 2017). Examples of cultural elements, that have supplemented and reinforced the life skills curriculum, include: traditional stories that teach cultural values, food gathering and preparation, beadwork, cedar weaving, carving, and tribal spirituality (Healing of the Canoe, 2017a). Information on different substances are also included in each