WSNARC White Bison
Wellbriety Movement
What is Wellbriety?
Wellbriety goes beyond achieving sobriety by committing to healing and holistic wellness. This approach focuses not only on recovery but also on overall physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. It addresses the root causes of substance use, depression, self-harm, co-dependency, and other destructive behaviors, including personal, historical, and intergenerational trauma. Wellbriety is also distinctive in that it views recovery as a community project, not an individual one.
The curriculum emphasizes reconnection with cultural teachings, ceremonies, and community. While it is largely based on Indigenous cultural teachings, Elders from various cultural backgrounds were consulted in its creation. People of all backgrounds are welcome and encouraged to join.
12 Steps and the Medicine Wheel
The 12 Steps and the Medicine Wheel is a curriculum that reimagines the traditional 12 Steps of AA/NA/XA through the lens of the medicine wheel. This approach allows the steps to be seen as an ongoing process to maintain one's center, rather than a linear series of tasks to be completed. It also assigns a value to each step, reflecting the work being done:
Step 1: Honesty
Step 2: Hope
Step 3: Faith
Step 4: Courage
Step 5: Integrity
Step 6: Willingness
Step 7: Humility
Step 8: Forgiveness
Step 9: Justice
Step 10: Perseverance
Step 11: Spiritual Awakening
Step 12: Service
While spirituality is a significant aspect of the program, it serves as a basis for recognizing the interconnected nature of all things rather than promoting specific religious beliefs. People of all religious backgrounds, including non-religious individuals, are welcome and encouraged to explore their own vision of spirituality.
The 12 Steps and the Medicine Wheel is designed for both adults (21+) and youth (13-21).
Mending Broken
Hearts
Mending Broken Hearts is a program focused on culturally based healing from grief, loss, and intergenerational trauma. While there is a particular focus on the lasting effects of colonization and the Indian boarding schools, we recognize that many who engage in destructive behaviors do so because of being caught in a cycle of unresolved grief. This unresolved grief has created a shame-based culture which has resulted in the passing down of shame, anger, guilt, and fear from generation to generation. The key to breaking this cycle is forgiveness. Through forgiveness we can begin a new cycle of intergenerational healing on behalf of the seven generations past and future.
Mending Broken Hearts is designed for both adults (18+) and youth (12-18).
Warrior
Down
Warrior Down focuses on creating a peer-based support system for Native Americans in recovery and/or re-entry. This recovery or re-entry can be from substance misuse, incarceration, extended mental health treatment, or any other circumstance that resulted in disconnection from the community.
Warrior Down recognizes the need for support to maintain Wellbriety and facilitate re-entry into the community. It also acknowledges the importance of lived experience in guiding this process.
Youth
Curriculum
The Wellbriety Movement recognizes the importance in promoting holistic wellness and recovery amongst youth and has created an array of programs aimed at addressing their needs. These programs include youth focused versions of 12 Steps and the Medicine Wheel and Mending Broken Hearts as well as:
Sons/Daughters of Tradition
Prevention-based programs for children and teens aged 8–17, aimed at helping them develop into healthy adults. These programs focus on instilling a sense of self-worth and reconnecting youth with cultural teachings and ceremonies. They encourage youth to consider the questions, "Who am I? Why am I? Where am I going?"
Understanding the Purpose of Life
This program imparts the teachings of Elders to youth, aiding in the development of cultural consciousness, healthy decision-making, and recognizing their gifts and purpose. It addresses goal setting, problem-solving, building self-esteem, and reconnecting with culture. The program is designed for youth aged 12–17.