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ERIC Number: EJ917663
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1052-5505
EISSN: N/A
Native Nutrition--Northwest Indian Treatment Center Honors Culture to Heal the Mind
Krohn, Elise
Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education, v22 n3 p24-28 Spr 2011
The Northwest Indian Treatment Center runs a 45-day inpatient treatment program in Elma, Washington. The Squaxin Island Tribe created the program to address an unmet need for culturally based drug and alcohol treatment centers for Indian people who grew up on reservations. The program specializes in treating people with chronic relapse patterns related to unresolved grief and trauma, including historic trauma from colonization. The treatment center weaves culture into the fabric of the program. According to the director, June O'Brien (Nansemond), patients must be able to see themselves in their recovery, and when patients' traditions are honored in the healing process, re-traumatization is less likely to occur. Their culture is their medicine. Native plants, singing, drumming, a sweat lodge, beading, and support from local Native spiritual communities are part of the program. These act like pillars to hold patients up during their recovery. In this article, the author describes the Native Foods Nutrition Project which was created by the treatment center to increase patients' access to and knowledge of high-quality foods, including fruits, vegetables, and Native foods such as berries, wild greens, seafood, and game. Weekly hands-on classes teach patients how to grow, harvest, process, and prepare these foods. Twice a month, tribal elders, storytellers, and cultural specialists speak as part of the program.
Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education. P.O. Box 720, Mancos, CO 81328. Tel: 888-899-6693; Fax: 970-533-9145; Web site: http://www.tribalcollegejournal.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Washington
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A