Printer-Friendly Version (pdf) of Wellbriety! Fall: Volume3, Number2

Billings Conference Brings Visitors
and Wellbriety Gifts


The 2002 Circles of Recovery Conference in Billings, Montana brought three honored guests from Washington, DC, to Montana to deepen the working relationship between Native communities and the anti-drug efforts from the nation's capitol.

In a keynote address to the Conference, Mary Ann Solberg, Deputy Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), told those present, "Thank you for the wonderful work you do. So often we in Washington don't say thanks. But I am here this morning to tell you that without your work this country would be a lesser place. From President Bush, from John Walters, head of the ONDCP, and from myself--thank you."

The ONDCP is the cabinet-level branch of the federal government whose job is to do something about the high rate of chemical dependency in the U.S. Its "drug war" under John Walters (formerly called the "drug czar") has been criticized for too much emphasis on jail time and not enough on prevention and treatment resources for addictions sufferers. But it was clear through the Deputy Director's message to Indian Country that the ONDCP is shifting its focus in order to provide help for the addict or alcoholic who suffers.

"The ONDCP would like to prevent drug use before its starts," Ms. Solberg said. "We are attempting to heal America's drug users. That means bringing the resources of treatment in recovery, of early identification, and of referral to the place where it is needed."

She also revealed that the Federal agency is starting to direct culture-specific messages and funding to Native America. "We are very aware of the severity of the problem in Indian Country. We are also aware that it is your culture that plays such an important part in the healing. We have tried, and we are still making, and will continue to make a concerted effort to assist by crafting drug prevention messages and outreach opportunities that are culturally relevant," she said.

On display at the Conference were beautiful and new anti-drug posters expressed completely in Native culture. Part of Ms. Solberg's presentation also included a new radio spot and a new TV public service message addressed directly to Native communities.

The Deputy Director's surprise message to the White Bison conference was her announcement that from this point on, Tribes, or Native communities and organizations that apply for anti-drug and alcohol grants, could draw the required matching funds from federal money. Up to this time, matching funds had to be derived from accounts other than federal sources.

General Arthur Dean (retired), CEO of CADCA, and Mary Ann Solberg, Deputy Director of the ONDCP, wear their honoring blankets after an honoring ceremony for both of them.

CADCA Talks to Montana
Another keynote presenter from the Washington, DC area was General Arthur Dean (Retired), CEO of CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America). CADCA is a private organization dedicated to bringing together community based coalitions nation wide in a concerted effort to eliminate the harm caused by drug and alcohol addiction.

CADCA is not a federal agency, but it serves at the Washington level as the conduit for coalitions across the nation. CADCA and White Bison have been working together for years to figure out how to get Indian country's issues to the table at Washington DC. General Dean's appearance at a Native wellness conference was the signal that Indian communities are finally gaining inclusion into the national healing process.

How serious is the drug and alcohol problem in the U.S.? "If we could rid ourselves of the devastation associated with alcohol and drug abuse, our country would be better off by nearly $276 Billion dollars," said Mr. Dean.

What is a community anti-drug coalition? "It is all the sectors in a community coming together, retaining their individual identity, and working holistically to solve the problems of the community and create a safe, healthy drug free community. When the community as a whole accepts ownership, comes together, and works together, it works," said CADCA's director.

General Dean also made a surprise commitment to Indian Country at the White Bison Conference. On hearing that many Native Tribal groups and communities aren't as efficient as they could be in the grant writing process, he spontaneously committed to send one of his staff to any Native group working to put together a drug-free grant for their communities.

Mary Ann Solberg and Arthur Dean's appearance at an event in Indian Country was a step in "the making of relatives" in the power centers of our nation. Don Coyhis (Mohican Nation), founder and president of White Bison, summed it up when he said, "The door is open for us to get our inputs back to DC on what is meaningful to us. It's a chance to make known our real needs as Indian people, which is expressed by the saying, 'Don't talk or write about us without us.'"

Indian hospitality was demonstrated when Ms. Solberg and Mr. Dean were honored in the Native way with beautiful Pendleton blankets. During the honoring ceremony Presidential Commissioner Henry Lozano (Hispanic, Apache) did the honors when he said, "We hope that you carry those and wear those honoring gifts as we wear our prayers for you. We need you both on the Hill with the President. We need Indian country to have its representation every day with every prayer that we can send your way. A Ho!"

Honoring Dr. Clark
Another visitor brought some good words from Washington at the celebration banquet Saturday night. Dr. H. Westley Clark is the head of SAMSHA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the parent agency of CSAT and CSAP, the two groups who actually allocate funds to Indian country for anti drug and alcohol programs and the all-important prevention programs that work to stop trouble before it starts.

Dr. Clark said that the work of recovery and prevention was one that this grassroots movement was going to lead the way in. He also said, "It is important that we recognize that we cannot preserve tradition, language and culture without young people. When you get to be my age you recognize the utility of young people. To whom are you going to pass the Hoop? So we need to be Elders and share our wisdom. We need young people to share our wisdom with. So this Conference, with its mix of Elders and Young People is the kind of Conference we need if we're going to address the issues of alcohol and drug abuse."

(L to R) Don Coyhis, Dr. H. Westley Clark, and Henry Lozano during an honoring ceremony for Dr. Clark.

But the most moving moment came at the end of his talk when he was honored with another beautiful Pendleton blanket for believing enough in Indian country to support its cultural programs with funds as well as words. Dr. Clark was deeply moved when Don Coyhis and Theda New Breast wrapped the blanket around his shoulders in a touching gesture of thanks from Native people.

Don Coyhis of White Bison summed up this historic healing connection with nationally based organizations. "The whole planet has interconnected," he said. "What happens with economic development in Japan in the morning is affecting our budgets in Indian country by the time we wake up. It's all interconnected. We need to be world players, world thinkers. If it's meant to be, we have to do it. We have to get involved. We have to understand Washington and how it works. We have to go into the fort and figure out how that fort works. We have been able to build strong relationships with the ONDCP, CADCA and SAMHSA. We can ride along with what has taken years to build."

NANACOA
New resources for Native wellness took center stage at the Circles of Recovery Conference this year. In addition to The Red Road to Wellbriety book, the Conference offered participants many culture-friendly learning tools and programs to walk the healing journey.

A special event at the Conference was an announcement of the team-up between White Bison, Inc. and NANACOA for even more effective healing of the effects of alcohol on Native American individuals, families and communities. NANACOA (National Association of Native American Children of Alcoholics) was an active and vibrant organization in the 1990's for those who wanted to understand what affect the presence of alcohol in their families of origin had on themselves and their own families. NANACOA stopped functioning late in the 1990's, but with a special ceremony held at the Circles of Recovery Conference it was re-empowered once again to serve those Native Americans with alcohol in their family background.

In a moving ceremony on Saturday morning, September 28, the White Bison Hoop of 100 Eagle Feathers and the NANACOA Sacred Buffalo Robe were brought together in ceremony so that their two organizations would combine forces, allowing NANACOA's healing message and methods to be heard once again. All those interested in sharing in this historic partnership can call toll-free 1-866-480-6751 to learn how they can participate.

A New Hoop Journey Video
A new Hoop Journey video was premiered to an audience of hundreds on the opening night of the conference. Hoop Journey 2002--Healing Native Women and Children is a thirty-minute documentary of the sixteen city, 7000 mile epic Journey of the Sacred Hoop that took place west of the Mississippi River in the summer of 2002. The video begins with a clip of modern dance performed by members of the Nez Perce Nation in Lapwai, Idaho specially for the Hoop Journey. It then moves through ceremonies and words of wellness spoken by numerous participants along the way. Finally, it concludes with a startling two-word pronouncement by a Northwest Elder--GET WELL! This new video brought damp eyes to all those first night viewers at the Conference and is available to sensitize and encourage each and every community to get on the band wagon of the Wellbriety Journey. Call or e mail White Bison to obtain your copy.

Lots of Teaching and Learning
The Circles of Recovery Conference offered learning tracks--one for each of the seven directions--to all who traveled to Billings this September. The learning tracks included: Servant Leadership; GONA-A Strategy for Community Change; The Healing Forest Model; The Daughters of Tradition Program; Wellbriety For Youth; Children, and Adult Children of Alcoholics; and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. There were also many Special Topics Workshops. At least two of the presentations herald strong new directions of healing that every Native community can get in on.

Jeri Brunoe-Samson brought many young people to the conference and will head up the new Wellbriety for Youth effort from White Bison. What is Wellbriety for Youth? Well, that's still unfolding. But in a series of energizer sessions, and in a youth presentation, the conference got an idea about how the youth can bring their own needs and energy to the Wellbriety Movement--especially for prevention of dysfunctional behaviors before they start.

A Special Topics Workshop that is likely to have good positive impact on incarcerated Native Americans is the Wellbriety Movement for Prisons. Blaine Wood shared with the conference how the Medicine Wheel and the 12 Steps Program changed his life and how it is providing hope for Native and non Native inmates in hundreds of federal and state institutions nationwide. He talked about how it works in prison. The Medicine Wheel and the 12 Steps Program had its beginning in the Idaho State Prison in the early 1990's. Blaine Wood was part of the circle of Indian men on the inside who consented to being videoed so that this program for both men and women could go on to lead the White Bison Wellbriety curriculum. He will lead the Wellbriety for Prisons effort from Boise, Idaho.

Blaine Wood will lead the Wellbriety for Prisons Program.

Summing Up
From Washington visitors, to seven different learning tracks, and to the new wellness resources that were gifted to Native North America, the Circles of Recovery Conference brought forth plenty for grassroots people to chew on for another year. One of the steady gifts to healing in Indian Country for the past few years has been Well Nations Magazine. This year the Well Nations table stood just opposite one of the main conference rooms, loaded with back issues and the smiling face of its publisher, Kevin Peniska Sr.

From his location in the center of things Mr. Peniska was in a good position to take the pulse of the conference. "I felt healing and wellness radiating out of those rooms," he said. "I had people come by the table and tell me that there's more wellness in those rooms than in their whole Tribal nations," he concluded.

The Conference in Billings saw a lot of firsts. For the first time, grassroots people working on their own wellness were able to offer a big Indian welcome way out in Indian country to key people from the Nation's Capitol. The new "Indigenous Big Book" promises to be a tool for bridging the gap from some successful non Native programs. And time will only tell how individual participants will use some of the ideas they picked up in the many learning sessions and new programs, or just by meeting old friends again.

The best part of all is that all Native American individuals and communities can get in on all of this without cost. Call White Bison toll free at 1-877-871-1495 or by e mail at info@whitebison.org to see how you can become part of anything that took place at this conference.

Richard Simonelli