Healing of the Canoe (HOC) is featured in the latest newsletter from the National American Indian/Alaska Native Addiction Technology Transfer Center. HOC addresses the prevention of youth substance abuse and the need for a sense of cultural belonging and cultural revitalization among youth as primary issues of community concern.
The HOC partnership has sought to address these issues through a community based, culturally grounded prevention and intervention life skills curriculum for tribal youth that builds on the strengths and resources in the community. The curriculum uses the Canoe Journey as a metaphor, providing youth the skills needed to navigate their journey through life without being pulled off course by alcohol or drugs – with tribal culture, tradition and values as compass to guide them, and anchor to ground them.
The article, written by Lisa Rey Thomas and the HOC team describes the history and accomplishments of the Healing of the Canoe project and the collaboration among the Suquamish Tribe, Port Gamble S'Kallam Tribe, and the UW's Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute.
