The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.

Cultural Enhancement Through Storytelling

Compass Health Care
Tucson, AZ

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"Cultural Enhancement Through Storytelling," 1997 winner of NCADD's Prevention and Education Meritorious Award, is a primary prevention program of NCADD's Tucson Affiliate. A community-based project located in Sells, AZ on the Tohono O'odham Indian reservation, it targets children ages nine to fourteen.

Guiding the project is the philosophy that stories teach respect for the self, school, teachers, community, family and tribe, and that the O'odham Way, taught through stories, can strengthen and empower youth. The stories, which include heros and heroines who face tests, overcome adversity and win honor for themselves, family and community, help build a strong personal identity which can motivate youth toward future goals. The stories also use culturally relevant psychology to influence value systems. All that the project represents can be found in the saying "O'odham Himdag `o wud t-gewkdag," which translates as "the O'odham way of life is our strength."

The project builds assets in the youth by encouraging them to recognize the strengths within their culture and to develop pride in themselves and their people through an understanding of their heritage. The development of these assets can help reduce the likelihood they will use alcohol and other drugs.

The project has four objectives: 1) seventh-grade students will show an increase in their ability to make good decisions and practice problem-solving skills; 2) students will learn the definition of a positive role model and be able to identify one within their community; 3) seventh-grade students will show an increase in their knowledge of alcohol and other drugs and a self-reported decrease in the use of these substances; and 4) students will feel a stronger connection to their culture and heritage.

Six major components comprise the project. Three of the components are seventh-grade school curricula for health studies, social studies and language arts. Each of the curricula is delivered over a six-week period by the classroom teacher, with assistance from the project staff. Pre- and post-tests are administered to measure specific skills learned by the students.

The remaining components are after-school and community activities. When classes end for the day, all students can participate in Heritage Club and Running Club. Tribal elders tell traditional stories during Winter Storytelling Nights in January, when community members are invited to join in song and dance. In addition, O'odham traditions and culture are being incorporated into the operations of the juvenile detention center, the Tohono O'odham diabetes program and other services for children and adults.

The Arizona Department of Health Services funds the project through the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona. Additional funding is provided by the Indian Oasis Baboquivari School District, a major collaborator.

Tribe members fluent in the O'odham language and knowledgeable in the traditions of their people are employed as site staff. Instrumental in its development, they have been affiliated with the project since the pilot phase began in 1991. Since that time, "Cultural Enhancement Through Storytelling" has evolved into a significant force that has positively influenced the lives of the youth and adults on the reservation.

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This program received one of eight 1998 Exemplary Substance Abuse Prevention Program Awards, sponsored by the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, the National Prevention Network and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022 phone: 212/269-7797   fax: 212/269-7510 email: national@ncadd.org   http://www.ncadd.org HOPE LINE: 800/NCA-CALL (24-hour Affiliate referral)