Looking for spirits in all the right places: an examination of native and non-native substance abuse recovery strategies in British Columbia
Date
2001
Authors
Evans, Susan Elizabeth
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Abstract
Canadian Native peoples are taking back control of community social and health programs through the Federal Health Transfer process. Questions of program efficacy need to be addressed to assist in the planning and implementation of effective alcohol and substance abuse recovery strategies. Culturally-relevant treatment is recommended for Native peoples to reclaim their cultural/spiritual identity and to heal from the spiritual bankruptcy of addiction. Using content analysis and qualitative evaluation of documentation and ethnographic interviews, this study examines the values embedded in the symbolic healing strategies of Native and non-Native outpatient and residential treatment centres across British Columbia. Considerable difference in the value placed on spirituality is found between Native and non-Native healing philosophies. Regionally distinct, syncretic healing models are utilized in Native urban and reserve programs which combine local traditions with practices adopted from Plains peoples. These syncretic models are creating controversy in coastal reserve communities.