Substance abuse and spirituality: A program for Native American students.

Prevention of alcohol and substance abuse is a high priority for many Native American communities. An innovative program to prevent substance abuse among Native American students was implemented at the Institute for American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. The program emphasized traditional values, history, and spirituality to enhance self esteem. It involved readings, classroom discussions, Native American ceremonies, and student projects. Among the issues that surfaced were concerns about identifying 'legitimate' elders for ceremonies, extensive diversity among Native American youth, relative neglect in the literature of women's importance in tribal life, and both common and conflicting religious themes among different tribes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)