Native Americans Return to Tradition to Battle Addiction
Addiction affects more than one demographic in this country. Way back when, the stigma of addiction seemed to only affect the lower-class, and minority groups. As time has gone on the script has flipped, so to speak. Now, when someone thinks of addiction, the mental picture they usually get are middle or upper-middle class, suburban white kids who raided their parent’s medicine cabinets, had “pharma parties,” or got injured playing sports and inadvertently got hooked on opioids.
The fact remains that addiction is a non-prejudicial condition that can prey on just about anyone. Addiction doesn’t care who you are, where you’re from, how much money you have, or how educated you are. And addiction certainly doesn’t care about the color of your skin. Many minority groups suffer from the uncontrollable compulsion to use drugs. While we, as a society, are fighting this epidemic tooth and nail, some minority groups have taken strides to handle the problem within their own culture.
Native Americans are some of the hardest hit subcultures when it comes to the opioid crisis. Overdose rates amongst indigenous people have risen an astounding 519% between 1999 and 2015, which is more than double the national increase in drug overdoses. Certain tribes around the country are hit harder than others and the Penobscot Nation of Maine is one of the most affected. They have, however, put together a plan to help its members who are struggling with addiction and get them onto the road toward salvation.
In the Penobscot Nation, tribe members who get caught up in legal charges as a result of their drug abuse will have the option to enter a new program called the Healing to Wellness Court. It’s sort of like a traditional drug court but with cultural and traditional nuances and values that help bring the addicted person back into communication with their roots. The participants of the program also receive counseling, housing assistance, and of course, drug testing to make sure they are abiding by a drug-free lifestyle. The Healing to Wellness Court is unique in that it integrates and mixes traditional drug court guidelines with traditions and rituals of the Penobscot people.
I think this is a great idea because, in reality, not much else is working. As our society evolves and attempts to cope with the massive drug problem, it’s easy to forget the smaller groups and ethnicities that are constantly affected by our choices to use drugs. I think that since Native Americans are so affected by the problem, bringing back their traditions, values, and rituals as a way of healing fellow tribe members is a wonderful thing. Sometimes bringing the old school to the new school is exactly what you have to do to fix a problem. And if doing so works, they will certainly be setting the example for other indigenous people dealing with addiction worldwide.
