National Coalition Institute and White Bison Partnered to Help American Indian Communities

“For American Indians, coalitions are like our clans,” stated Don Coyhis, the well-known and highly respected leader of the Wellbriety movement and President of White Bison, Inc. at a free three-day training held in February in Denver, CO, for American Indian communities. CADCA's National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute sponsored the training at the request of White Bison, one the country's leading American Indian organizations and a national organization member of CADCA.

Forty individuals representing more than 25 different tribes attended this exciting event that focused upon developing core competencies for building effective coalitions to prevent and reduce substance abuse. Kareemah Abdullah , the Institute's Deputy Director for Training and Technical Assistance led a team of four outstanding American Indian experts, including CADCA Coalition Advisory Committee member Ray Daw, who conducted the training.

During the three days of training, the participants examined risk factors in different domains: community, school, individual, peer and family that are common among American Indians. They also highlighted the “gifts” of their families, communities and culture that can serve to reduce rates of substance abuse. The CADCA team focused on teaching them how to analyze data to identify problems related to substance abuse in their communities and how to develop measurable outcomes. At the end of the training, the participants identified and prioritized strategies for reducing rates of substance abuse in their communities.

Native American spirituality was constantly present at the training as Mr. Coyhis and other members of White Bison opened and closed each day with traditional ceremonies. Many attendees described how spirituality served as an important “protective factor” for American Indians and needed to be included in the development of their strategic plans. Others noted the important role of elders in their communities and indicated that they also must be included in anti-drug coalitions for them to truly have an impact. Coyhis led evening meetings throughout the training to discuss how to make the core competencies culturally appropriate for Indians.

One important aspect of this training was the presentation of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, administered by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Ms. Abdullah explained the various components of this initiative and encouraged Indian Country to consider applying. CADCA Board Member Mr. Henry Lozano explained how certain regulations had been changed to help tribal groups successfully compete. Several of the participants indicated they felt CADCA's approach to strategic planning was appropriate for their coalitions and intended to incorporate it in their Drug-Free Communities Support Program applications.

CADCA's Chief Executive Officer, General Arthur T. Dean noted that he had received positive feedback from this training and stated, “CADCA is very pleased to have White Bison and its member coalitions as part of our organization and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with this wonderful organization. Don Coyhis and White Bison are to be commended for the significant strides that have been made in developing coalitions in American Indian communities.” CADCA's Institute received more requests for people wanting to attend this training than it could accept and is considering the possibility of repeating the training at a later date.