Video Transcript – Video with Dr. Dell – Show me the Evidence (Spring 2013, Volume 1, Issue 4)

[ Back to Show me the Evidence ]

Inner Strength: Overcoming Addiction by Embracing Cultural Identity

Dr. Colleen Dell is studying the connection between cultural identity and the addiction recovery process.

Dr. Colleen Dell
University of Saskatchewan

Dr. Colleen Dell: Aboriginal culture is incredibly important, and we found in our study that in addition to identity, the healing journey was about first finding out who you are and understanding who you are, and second, about understanding the role of culture in your life, having that cultural understanding.

Dr. Dell partnered with Aboriginal women who had experience with addiction and recovery to interview women currently in treatment.

Dr. Colleen Dell: The way that we conducted our research was very much in balance and about reciprocity as well. So the women who did the interviews, or the storytelling sessions, we called them, across the country, they were women with "lived experience" for the most part – First Nations, Inuit and Métis women. So it wasn't a typical "go in, share a story, and then leave." The women were engaged throughout the project. They had the opportunity to remain engaged with the project in different ways.

In addition to publishing their findings, the research team worked with Violet Naytowhow to produce a song and video called "From Stilettos to Moccasins."

Dr. Colleen Dell: This was to give back to the individuals who shared with us. We also had the academic articles, but first and foremost, we had to share with those who shared with us, and we thought a really accessible way would be doing a song and a music video.

Stilettos to Moccasins Video: "...Who am I? What is my name? Surviving the streets, lost and alone. I started a journey to find my way home..."

They have distributed about 15,000 copies of the video on DVD and received 21,000 hits on YouTube.

Dr. Colleen Dell: And there was such great response to the song and video that we wanted to turn it into something that was even more accessible, and people could interact with.

The research team designed a workshop that would help treatment programs incorporate elements of Aboriginal culture.

Dr. Colleen Dell: So what we did is we created a half-day workshop. We have 150 of these kits out across the communities, in treatment centres in communities at large across Canada, and have lots of great feedback and evaluation on that.

They will continue to assess the impact of the workshops and the video.

Dr. Colleen Dell: Three months later, our first question is "do you remember the song and the video?" And they do. A large, overwhelming majority remember it.

Dr. Colleen Dell: They remember the feeling that went with it, the pride, but they also remember the words. And they remember, not always the exact words, but they remember what the intent was, what the message of the song was, and that is to be very proud of who you are. And again that identity and how to move forward with that in their own healing journeys.

Stilettos to Moccasins Video: "...And this is who I am. And this is who I am."

Credits:

"From Stilettos to Moccasins"
Song and music video by Violet Naytowhow and the CIHR Project Research Team.
© 2009, Mae Star Productions