8.3 Indigenous Approaches

I would like to acknowledge the individuals and organizations that shared their knowledge to help us learn about the history of Indigenous people in Canada.  Please bring openness and respect to this learning.

This section of Chapter 8 will focus on healing that has happened and is happening in Indigenous communities in the context of substance use.  Here is what we know:  the Canadian Government has systemically and continuously tried to eradicate Indigenous groups across North America, devalued their stories and cultural practices.^[1]  The Canadian Government, under the Indian Act, forced generations of trauma upon individuals and communities; we must acknowledge and understand this as “to understand the Aboriginal perspective there needs to be recognition of the effects of colonization”.^[2]

Indigenous people are strong and resilient.^[3]  According to McIvor et al.,^[4] Aboriginal communities have asserted “that their language and culture is at the heart of what makes them unique and what has kept them alive in the face of more than 150 years of colonial rule”.^[5]  By understanding the ways Indigenous communities have responded to colonization and ongoing health concerns in this context, substance use may help non-Indigenous practitioners understand Indigenous practices.  Of key importance is the understanding that “health” goes beyond the western ideal of physical and mental health; Indigenous health is “understood as one of a harmonious relationship within the whole person, including mind, body, emotion, and spirit”.^[6]  By knowing and respecting this worldview, Social Service practitioners may begin to explore the ways they can learn from Indigenous communities. Please watch the video^[7] below to further your understanding.

Indigenous Canadians who use substances have some of the highest rates of substance use disorders in Canada because of inter-generational trauma and colonization.^[8]  Substance use is not unique to Indigenous groups and many individuals and communities are addressing their substance use using culture as intervention and treatment.

Most Indigenous scholars proposed that the wellness of an Aboriginal community can only be adequately measured from within an Indigenous knowledge framework that is holistic, inclusive, and respectful of the balance between the spiritual, emotional, physical, and social realms of life.^[9]

Some groups may solely use culture and traditional methods, some may use Western treatment and sometimes individuals and groups use a blending of the two.  This blending could be seen as utilizing a two-eyed seeing approach, a concept developed by Elder Albert Marshall which he suggested one uses the strengths of Indigenous knowledge and the strengths of Western knowledge so one may come to see the world more comprehensively and for the benefit of all.^[10]  Evidence is clear: culture is a foundation of Indigenous health, from prevention initiatives to healing from substance use and trauma.^[11]

In Nova Scotia, there are some services provided to Indigenous people in Indigenous communities that use a two-eyed seeing approach.  For example, Eagle Nest Recovery House in Sipekne’katik First Nation, Nova Scotia provides “best practices and community based culturally relevant programs which are delivered by certified addictions counsellors”.^[12]

It is important to reiterate that each Indigenous group in Canada is unique, and not all interventions would be appropriate.  The culture-based intervention and healing may include any or all of spirit, ceremonies, language, values and beliefs, stories and songs, land-based activities, food, relations, nature, and history, among others.  Below you will find some traditional healing methods; it is important to note this is by no means a comprehensive list of all Indigenous treatments, as there are hundreds of unique Indigenous communities across Canada.  This should, however, provide you with an opportunity to learn more about Indigenous communities in both Nova Scotia and in Canada and build your two-eyed seeing practice.  It is my sincere hope that others will contribute to the gaps in this section, so that we all may learn from each other.  We will start with a graphic on common cultural interventions.  Please review.  Which interventions would you like to know more about?

What is a medicine wheel? McCormick^[13] provides the following overview of the medicine wheel:

The Aboriginal medicine wheel is perhaps the best representation of an Aboriginal world-view related to healing. The medicine wheel describes the separate dimensions of the self– mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual – as equal and as parts of a larger whole. The medicine wheel represents the balance that exists between all things. Traditional Aboriginal healing incorporates the physical, social, psychological, and spiritual being. ^[14][15]

The medicine wheel has many iterations and is used differently by different practitioners as noted by Jeff Ward in the video below.^[16]  It is important to note that the teachings of the medicine wheel can be used as part of a two-eyed seeing approach to health.

What is an Elder? The term Elder “refers to someone who has attained a high degree of understanding of First Nation, Métis, or Inuit history, traditional teachings, ceremonies, and healing practices”^[17] and is not defined by their age. Elders do not belong to just one family, they are part of the community, and respect should be given to Elders from all, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Elders have a revered place among Indigenous communities in Canada. “Elders were the carriers of knowledge of both physical and spiritual reality and that they have been educated through the oral tradition”.^[18] The role of Elders in Indigenous communities cannot be stressed enough. They are the keepers of knowledge and are honoured and respected.

Watch the video below to deepen your understanding of Elders.^[19]

Nature is a powerful force and how we engage with nature depends on many factors, where we live, access to wilderness, finances, ability, safety and more. One of the social determinants of health is environment; consequently, where we live plays a role in our health. The earth takes care of us, it is where we build our homes, grow/hunt/fish our food, drink our water, and we live, work, and play on the land.

Food For Thought

• Have you ever taken a walk in a forest?  A beach?  Your neighbourhood?
• What did it feel like?  Were you present in this moment?

Taking time to honour the earth is important, and Indigenous communities have a deep sacred relationship with the land, with the earth.  The land plays a critical role in substance use treatment for Indigenous people.  Carrier Sekani Family Services “offers a land-based healing program that uses culture and the natural environment to encourage its participants to return to their First Nations’ culture to assist in combating addiction”.^[20]  Utilizing the land allows a path to healing for communities who have been removed from the land and traditional teaching due to colonization. This type of programming includes both traditional teachings as well as Western interventions, utilizing the concept of two-eyed seeing which honors the best of Indigenous and non-Indigenous treatment philosophies and interventions.

What is smudging? The smoke from burning sweet grass, cedar, or sage, is brushed toward one’s body to cleanse the spirit. The smudging is usually done before a person involves themselves in a traditional ceremony.^[21]

Watch The Seven Sacred Teachings with Dr. Lottie Johnson via Vimeo.

Sharing circles have an important role in Indigenous healing. They are “an Indigenous method used to explore a topic (e.g. health) and co-create solutions (e.g. how to restore balance) in a safe and protected space where each individual’s thoughts, experiences, feelings and ideas are respected”.^[22]

Brian Knockwood of Sipekne’katik First Nation is a local drum maker who has been making drums for more than two decades.

There are many other Indigenous treatments for health including spirituality, traditional crafting, narrative therapy, and singing.  This is a very small snapshot, please connect with Indigenous service providers and look for meaningful engagement with the Indigenous communities in your area.  There is much to learn.

Image Credits

• Canadian Institute of Health Research. (2014). Honouring our strengths: Indigenous culture as intervention in addictions treatment project. https://pressbooks.nscc.ca/app/uploads/sites/246/2022/05/3_Common_Cultural_Interventions.pdf
• Image of Chief Bob preparing to smudge from: 2017 Anishinabe Naming Ceremony at Springwater Park, ON by antefixus21 via flickr is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.