Top 10 Solutions to Problems in Indian Country
Outcomes of the 10 Discovery Circles Convened at the 2005 White Bison Wellbriety Conference are Summarized in this Issue.

White Bison Born in Kentucky A female White Buffalo calf was born in Shelbyville, Kentucky on June 3, 2005 at Buffalo Crossing, a working buffalo ranch and tourist facility located about 35 miles east of Louisville. She was named Cante Pejute, or Medicine Heart in the Lakota language in a traditional ceremony on July 4 led by Steve McCullough, a Lakota/Shawnee from Indiana. The Buffalo Crossing “fun ranch” is located on the Bagdad road between Shelbyville and Bagdad, Kentucky. Funny coincidence in names? Or maybe some good energy, unity and hope for healing these troubled times. Visit the website www.buffalocrossing.com for photos and more information.

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Introduction to the Top Ten Solutions

Discovery Circles were held at the White Bison Conference in April, 2005. The purpose of these morning/afternoon sessions was to, first, name the problem areas in Indian communities (in the morning) and then to identify the 10 best solutions in the afternoon sessions. People stayed within ten problem areas as they worked to come up with what’s broken, and what fixes it. The ten areas are:

1-   Fatherhood
2-   Children of Alcoholics (COA)
3-   Community Leadership
4-   Domestic Violence
5-   Drugs and Inhalants
6-   Youth Suicide
7-   Alcoholism
8-   Parenting
9-   Families
10- Intergenerational Trauma

In this issue of Wellbriety! Online Magazine, we proudly present the outcomes of the 10 Discovery Circles in the form of “The Top Ten Solutions to Problems In Indian Country.”

How did the discovery circles take place? A facilitator led each circle through a circle-discussion of the problems in their communities in the morning sessions. Mind map drawings were one of the main tools for getting insights from the circle out onto posters that all could see. The morning sessions drew the problems out of everybody. The afternoon sessions concentrated on solutions to those problems. Then, in the last period of time during the afternoon all the solutions were condensed down to ten and written on a sheet of paper. These lists of solutions were then presented to the entire conference at a general session during the late afternoon. After the ten presentations, the Elders commented on what they heard and saw. (please see Volume 6, #7 for an Elder’s talk)

In the next pages of this issue of Wellbriety! you’ll find out what each of the discovery circles came up with. We also share some of the mind map drawings (only in the pdf download version of the magazine) to give you an idea of the working process of a few of the circles. We are presenting these outcomes so you and your community can undertake the same process in your home community or neighborhood. The mind maps are samples and examples to get you started on your own solutions activity. Even the Top 10 Solutions are only examples so you can go through the process in a way that makes sense where you are. You can use some of the Conference solutions to get your own circles going.

The Discovery Circles at this year’s White Bison conference were really a warm-up exercise so that we can do it again after everyone has had a chance to think more about it. Stay tuned to find out when the next set of Discovery circles will take place. We hope this issue of Wellbriety! gives you some ideas for your own community process.

Top 10 Solutions to Problems in Indian Country

Ramon Vasques (L) and Frank Castro read the results for FATHERHOOD

FATHERHOOD
Guiding Questions for the FATHERHOOD Circle
A) What role does fatherhood play in your community?
B) How has fatherhood impacted the youth?
C) How has fatherhood impacted the culture?
D) What are the biggest challenges?
E) What do you think is lacking regarding fatherhood.

FATHERHOOD––Top 10 Solutions
1-To have more men’s circles without negative influences within our families and our communities
2-To begin to identify support systems within our communities and our families
3-To create a consciousness of fatherhood and the importance of fatherhood within our families and in our community
4-To research and start programs based on existing models that may be working in other communities or families
5-To also make a personal commitment to create change to self, family and community
6-To create more opportunities for fathers to participate within our families and our communities
7-To provide education and awareness on fatherhood and the importance of the role of the father within a family
8- To establish communication, better communication utilizing media, community, and personal communication with our families
9-To promote male and father roles through traditional efforts in our communities and within our families
10-To provide culturally appropriate training on building family relationships

CHILDERN OF ALCOHOLICS (COA)
Guiding Questions for the COA Circle
A) What role does COA play in your community?
B) How has COA impacted the youth?
C) How has COA impacted the culture?
D) What are the biggest challenges?
E) What do you think is lacking regarding COA?

Julie LaBrake and daughter Erin summarize the COA results

COA––Top 10 Solutions
1-A shared vision
2-Traditional ways, including intergenerational collaboration
3-Educational awareness and related issues
4-Trust, Respect and Pride
5-Coordination of Resources
6-Sustainability
7-Unconditional love
8-Community involvement
9-Wellbriety
10-Sober, accountable leaders

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
Guiding Questions for the COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP Circle
A) What role does leadership play in your community?
B) How has community leadership impacted the youth?
C) How has community leadership impacted the culture?
D) What are the biggest challenges?
E) What do you think is lacking regarding community leadership?

Laurie (L) and Bradley present the solutions for COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

CRAIG summarizes the outcome from the DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Circle

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Guiding Questions for the DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Circle
A) What role does domestic violence play in your community?
B) How has domestic violence impacted the youth?
C) How has domestic violence impacted the culture?
D) What are the biggest challenges involving domestic violence?
E) What do you think is lacking regarding domestic violence.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE––Top 10 Solutions
1-Prayer and Ceremony
2-Restoring family values
3-Re-establishing clan systems
4-Educate to true history
5-Sober leadership
6-Effective Laws
7-Community and Family Intervention
8-Wellbriety Movement Events
9-Community Outreach
10-Tribal Language

DRUGS and INHALANTS
Guiding Questions for the DRUGS and INHALANTS Circle
A) What role do drugs & inhalants play in your community?
B) How have drugs & inhalants impacted the youth?
C) How have drugs & inhalants impacted the culture?
D) What are the biggest challenges?
E) What do you think is lacking regarding drugs & inhalants.

Wendy Russell talks through the DRUGS and INHALANTS outcomes

DRUGS AND INHALANTS––Top 10 Solutions
1-Community Awareness––Not only what drugs are out there, but what homes they are in
2-Believe in a positive direction—change the mindset
3-Proactive involvement––support of each other, tribal, community leaders, including approaching business owners to take inhalants off the shelves
4-Spiritual awareness
5-Healing of self, family, and community
6-Establishing and strengthening the identity—we establish our roots of self, family, community and culture.
7-Family treatment—the whole family
8-Positive role models––Outreach to community, clean and sober activities and other alternatives
9-Start with the little ones
10-Take responsibility for ourselves and pass it on in service to others

Patricia Shepard gives the summary for YOUTH SUICIDE

YOUTH SUICIDE
Guiding Questions for the YOUTH SUICIDE Circle
A) What role does youth suicide play in your community?
B) How has this role impacted the youth?
C) How has this role impacted the culture?
D) What are the biggest challenges in dealing with youth suicide?
E) What do you think is lacking regarding youth suicide?

YOUTH SUICIDE––Top 10 Solutions
1-Education––Education within families and education within the communities
2-Suicide awareness
3-Support for youth, families and community
4-Role model––we need role models to come forward for our youth because they have none at this time. We haven’t identified any role models for our youth to look at as far as youth suicide prevention.
5-Love—unconditional love for our youth, families and community
6-Elders—how critical their role is in relationship to suicide prevention
7-Healing
8-Programming (Programs)–intervention, prevention
9-Recognition of youth––It is critical to recognize our youth because they go unrecognized and they thrive on recognition
10-Communication—Communication was a very strong theme that ran across our workshop. It is very critical that our youth are heard, that our families are heard, and that our community is listening.

ALCOHOLISM
Guiding Questions for the ALCOHOLISM Circle
A) What role does alcoholism play in your community?
B) How has alcoholism impacted the youth?
C) How has alcoholism impacted the culture?
4) What are the biggest challenges?
5) What do you think is lacking regarding alcoholism.

	Marlin Mason (R) talks about the solutions for ALCOHOLISM

ALCOHOLISM––Top 10 Solutions
1-The need to identify, develop and train addictions counselors
2-Strengthen Native traditional, non-traditional and all-family support systems
3-Continue to develop training programs for children, youth and young adults to address alcohol and drug prevention. Eg: Motivational speakers, training the trainers, and as curriculum within the educational systems.
4-Develop parental educational teachings on parenting skills and prevention role modeling
5-Develop and establish adolescent mutual support groups with counselors and activities
6-Re-institution of rites of passage rituals
7-Model successful family practices and try to replicate successes in other families
8-Return to traditional practices and identify ways addressing alcoholism within the traditions in a practical way
9-Reaffirming the women’s role within society and the women’s sacredness within the family
10-Establish Native and collaborative employment training opportunities and options.

Anna DeCrane reads the list for PARENTING

PARENTING
Guiding Questions for the PARENTING Circle
A) What role does parenting play in your community?
B) How does parenting impact the youth of your community?
C) What is the role of parenting on your culture?
D) What are the challenges faced by parenting in your community?
E) What is lacking in your community for effective parenting?

PARENTING––Top 10 Solutions
1-Communication with love and respect; allowing communication
2- Teach parenting skills using Native American beliefs and values and also using Elders
3-Cultural use of storytelling and reading books
4-Traditional grief rituals from our cultures for healing
5-Understanding trauma and what it does to people
6-Diet. No processed food. Using traditional food. Making old ways new again.
7-Community support for parents and also for children
8-Using talking circles for parents as self-care to talk about themselves and their parenting skills
9-Spending time with kids. Having fun. Playing.
10-Allowing kids to discharge stress in non-harmful ways. Allowing children to express themselves.

FAMILY
Guiding Questions for the FAMILY Circle
A) What role does family play in your community?
B) How has this role impacted the youth?
C) How has this role impacted the culture?
D) What are the biggest challenges in dealing with family?
E) What do you think is lacking regarding family?

Vincent Wallulatum (R) comments on the 10 solutions for the FAMILY circle.

FAMILY––Top 10 Solutions
1-Empathy. Being able to put aside our own views and feel the compassion for others.
2-Respect. Acknowledgement of self and others. Acknowledge we have Elders in our community that have a lot of wisdom. And our young people have a lot of wisdom.
3-Trust. In addiction we don’t trust anybody. Being able to trust.
4-Oyate. My people. Our people. All our relations.
5-Safety and Trust. When adults are addicted we lose that safety for our youth. We do fracture our trust. Our young people need to feel that safety amongst our adults and be able to trust us.
6- Communications. Being able to talk and to listen to observe and to understand each other in a good, thoughtful way.
7-Being a role model.
8-Traditional values. Wisdom, respect, courage, generosity.
9-Sharing. Sharing our knowledge, sharing the things we’ve learned. We’ve walked the rough road and now we are trying to pass on positive outcome of our struggles to our young people so that they will not follow that path too. Strengthen the young people who have not even used alcohol or drugs.
10-Understanding. Understanding each other as human beings knowing that we are all part of an all-inclusive list as human beings and where we come from.

INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA
Guiding Questions for the INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA Circle
A) What role does intergenerational trauma play in your community?
B) How has intergenerational trauma impacted the youth?
C) How has intergenerational trauma impacted the culture?
D) What are the biggest challenges?
E) What do you think is lacking regarding intergenerational trauma?

Theda New Breast summarizes the  outcomes for the INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA circle

INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA––Top 10 Solutions
1-Language
2-Sober Leadership
3-Heal ourselves
4-Ceremonies
5-Gender Forgiveness
6-Facilitate Grassroots
7-Truth About Past
8-Body work
9-Diet. Food as medicine
10-Address Shame.

Sample mind map from the Intergenerational Trauma circle. Much more information from the Intergenerational Trauma circle can be found in Volume 6, # 7 of Wellbriety!