This book is written in the belief that many Native substance abusers suffer because their cultural heritage is being swept away or because they have lost contact with it. While Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous provide wonderful leadership to millions of people, they do not deal with the pain that can arise when cultures weaken and die or when people are cut off from their heritage. While not seeking to replace tools of recovery, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, this book deals with the fact that people often lose the ability to cope when their cultures are under attack. The resulting pain can lead to substance abusers. If strengthened, however, the traditions of a people can help people regain their sobriety. The example of Handsome Lake, a Native leader who lived many years ago, demonstrates the power of tradition. Handsome Lake was an alcoholic near death who, at the last possible moment, regained his sobriety and invented a method that helped the Iroquois people overcome their alcoholism and restore their culture. This strategy was made up of two parts (1) reaffirming and strengthening the culture and (2) living a sober life while undoing past wrongs. This book is written to how how Handsome Lake’s inspirational example can help today's Native people who seek recovery from substance abuse.

This workbook is designed to be used with Recovery the Native Way, a short book in this series that deals with the impact that your Native heritage might have on your substance abuse as well as how your traditions might contribute to a fruitful and positive recovery. A person’s culture and its importance to emotional health are emphasized. When their way of life is weakened or when people lose touch with it, pain can result. This suffering may lead to substance abuse. If, on the other hand, people have a good relationship with their culture, it can be a source of comfort and strength that can help them to cope and recover. The goal of Recovery the Native Way and this workbook is to deal with how cultural issues can lead both to substance abuse and recovery. The ideas presented largely reflect the experiences of Handsome Lake, the nineteenth century leader who overcame alcoholism and helped his tribe to do the same. Because this book is inspired by the experiences of actual Native people who have successful overcame addiction, I hope it will ring true and help you. By using this workbook when reading Recovery the Native Way, you can better understand yourself and your behavior. This is a key to recovery. Specific exercises in this workbook correspond to chapters in Recovery the Native Way. You will read a chapter from the book and then use the workbook to clarify your personal feelings. There are no right or wrong answers as long as you are honest and true to yourself. If you respond truthfully and carefully, the effort can be a very useful tool of your recovery. Most basically, the workbook will help you better understand your Native heritage, the mainstream culture, and the relationship between the two. Work hard and good luck.

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness that Native clients who suffer from substance abuse often face challenges that are distinct from those experienced by the mainstream population. For a number of years, I have been involved in research involving Native alcoholism and I have recently published a book on the subject titled The Path of Handsome Lake: A Model of Recovery for Native People. My book argues that many different Native cultures (in America and elsewhere) face similar challenges and disruptions because their cultures are often under great stress and/or because people are alienated from their heritage. The dyfunctional responses of many different Native people are similar because they are subjected to similar pressures. In a nutshell, due to contact with the outside world, Native cultures often experience disruptive transitions, and (in some instances) entire cultures or ways of life may face extinction. Under such circumstances, the culture loses the ability to support people and help them cope with the pressures of life. Cultural decline itself often causes additional trauma. Combined, these pressures can trigger dysfunction within the Native community. The obvious antidote for such maladies is to help Native substance abusers to reconnect with their heritage in positive and constructive ways. My earlier book and this one are inspired by the life and work of nineteenth century Iroquois leader Handsome Lake who developed a method to help Native people embrace their heritage as they recovered from substance abuse. Because my earlier book was scholarly and not focused on practitioner issues, using it within a therapeutic context may be difficult. Here, I adapt my ideas so they can be applied to therapy in a systematic and productive manner. The total program of therapy is presented in three volumes. The first is a short overview of the program that has been written at about a 10th-grade reading level. My goal is to provide a wide range of clients (as well as those who pursue self-help work) with an easily understood description of the program. The second document is a consumable workbook designed to be used with the reader. The workbook can be used both within the context of therapy and by those seeking strategies of self-help. The volume you are reading is a guide for therapists to consult when using this method to help Native clients. It is hoped that all three of these texts will play a significant role in the therapy and recovery of Native substance abusers.

This workbook is designed to be used with Recovery the Native Way, a short book in this series that deals with the impact that your Native heritage might have on your substance abuse as well as how your traditions might contribute to a fruitful and positive recovery. A person's culture and its importance to emotional health are emphasized. When their way of life is weakened or when people lose touch with it, pain can result. This suffering may lead to substance abuse. If, on the other hand, people have a good relationship with their culture, it can be a source of comfort and strength that can help them to cope and recover. The goal of Recovery the Native Way and this workbook is to deal with how cultural issues can lead both to substance abuse and recovery. The ideas presented largely reflect the experiences of Handsome Lake, the nineteenth century leader who overcame alcoholism and helped his tribe to do the same. Because this book is inspired by the experiences of actual Native people who have successful overcame addiction, I hope it will ring true and help you. By using this workbook when reading Recovery the Native Way, you can better understand yourself and your behavior. This is a key to recovery. Specific exercises in this workbook correspond to chapters in Recovery the Native Way. You will read a chapter from the book and then use the workbook to clarify your personal feelings. There are no right or wrong answers as long as you are honest and true to yourself. If you respond truthfully and carefully, the effort can be a very useful tool of your recovery. Most basically, the workbook will help you better understand your Native heritage, the mainstream culture, and the relationship between the two. Work hard and good luck.

"This book is written in the belief that many Native substance abusers suffer because their cultural heritage is being swept away or because they have lost contact with it. While Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous provide wonderful leadership to millions of people, they do not deal with the pain that can arise when cultures weaken and die or when people are cut off from their heritage. While not seeking to replace tools of recovery, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, this book deals with the fact that people often lose the ability to cope when their cultures are under attack. The resulting pain can lead to substance abusers. If strengthened, however, the traditions of a people can help people regain their sobriety. The example of Handsome Lake, a Native leader who lived many years ago, demonstrates the power of tradition. Handsome Lake was an alcoholic near death who, at the last possible moment, regained his sobriety and invented a method that helped the Iroquois people overcome their alcoholism and restore their culture. This strategy was made up of two parts (1) reaffirming and strengthening the culture and (2) living a sober life while undoing past wrongs. This book is written to how how Handsome Lake's inspirational example can help today's Native people who seek recovery from substance abuse."--Pub. website.

The Way of Our People