TWO MEDICINES | How Native-Led Programs Are Blending Culture and Western Science to Help Their Relatives Through the Opioid Crisis (2)

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By Elyse Wild

December 22, 2024

Across Indian Country, tribal communities are proving that blending Indigenous practices with Western medicine creates more effective addiction treatment for their citizens. This 3-part series examines how Native-led programs are transforming care for tribal members through prevention, harm reduction, and recovery approaches that honor both traditional and clinical wisdom. This series was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. 

Part One: Prevention | ‘You Can’t Gangster a Horse’

Through traditional horsemanship and cultural connections, Native American youth are finding healing at NARA NW in Portland, Oregon. As Native Americans face the highest drug overdose rates among teenagers of any ethnic group, this innovative program blends tribal wisdom with clinical approaches to prevent substance abuse before it starts.

Under the guidance of 83-year-old tribal elder Dr. John Spence, teens learn the sacred relationship between humans and horses – a bond that exemplifies how cultural practices serve as both prevention and treatment.

“The horses have taught me that I’m not the bad person I thought I was,” says one young participant. Through experiences like the Seven Sacred Directions of the Horse and traditional talking circles, young participants discover their true selves while connecting with their heritage.

Part Two: Harm Reduction | Choctaw Nation Found a Better Way to Deliver Harm Reduction.  It’s Working. 

When overdose deaths were rising in Native communities, Choctaw Nation found an innovative solution to harm reduction: combining traditional values, Choctaw culture, data, and Western science.

From street-level naloxone distribution to culturally informed treatment, see how this Oklahoma tribe is saving lives and reconnecting people with their culture. Our latest investigation, supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, shows how they’re doing it.

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About The Author

Author: Elyse WildEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Senior Health Editor

Elyse Wild is Senior Health Editor for Native News Online, where she leads coverage of health equity issues including mental health, environmental health, maternal mortality, and the overdose crisis in Indian Country. Her award-winning journalism has appeared in The Guardian, McClatchy newspapers, and NPR affiliates. In 2024, she received the inaugural Excellence in Recovery Journalism Award for her solutions-focused reporting on addiction and recovery in Native communities. She is currently working on a Pulitzer Center-funded series exploring cultural approaches to addiction treatment.

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