| 1. |
Components of a Comprehensive Prevention Program:
|
| 2. |
Advancing HIV Prevention Initiative:
|
| 3. |
Evidence-Based Interventions:
|
| 4. |
Introduction to Storytelling as a Prevention Strategy:
|
|
After the flood, Old Man mixed water with different colors. He whistled, and all the people came together. He gave one man a cup of one kind of water, saying, “You will be the chief of these people here.” To another man he gave differently colored water, and so on. The Blackfoot, Piegan, and Blood all received black water. Then he said to the people, “Talk,” and they all talked differently; but those who drank black water spoke the same.9
--Blackfoot, Languages Confused on a Mountain |
Stories have been a basis of teaching and healing throughout history. From Native American creation stories to the parables of the Bible, people have always been moved by the power of metaphor. Indeed, a culture’s stories are closely tied to its ceremonies and spiritual beliefs. North America’s indigenous cultures particularly used oral traditions to pass on history and teach social norms and values. Children learned rules of behaviors by watching and listening to their elders. Grandparents and other ‘extended’ family members taught using experiential learning, stories (wisdom tales), and ceremonies.10
Since colonial times, Native people have had to adapt to other cultures. As a result, many Native stories and ceremonies have been lost. Fortunately, the Native wellness movement and resiliency research by indigenous social scientists revived interest in reclaiming the power of story and ceremony.
Key Concepts
Traditional Stories
Traditional Stories include sacred stories (e.g. creation stories), trickster stories, and, hero-heroine stories. Traditional Stories tell history, teach values, and instruct individuals in how to live with people, nature, and the Creator.
Ceremony
Ceremonies are cultural markers designed to transition an individual from one life stage to the next. Each stage of ceremony has its own roles and responsibilities. Ceremony honors and promotes growth and change throughout life.
Personal Stories
Personal stories are most often healing tools but can also be used in education and prevention efforts. Personal stories are similar to ceremony in that they can help move people from one stage of life to the next.
9Wissler C, Duvall DC. Mythology of the Blackfoot Indians. New York: Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. 1908;2(1):19. Available at: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/blkftcreation.html. Accessed February 21, 2007.
10Rogers B. A path of healing and wellness for Native families. American Behavioral Scientist. May 2001;44(9):1512. |
