Walking the Red Road

Indigenous ways of life promote interconnectedness to all things on earth and

beyond, recognizing that we are inherently connected to everything and

everyone at once. In the Native way, change is seen within the context of a

circle. The circle implies connection to Creator first and foremost, and only

from this sacred place can we find balance within ourselves and connection

to unci maka (earth) and each another. The process of healing our families

and communities takes many different individuals and systems actively

integrating cultural lifeways into mental health and substance use treatment

models.

Over the last five hundred years across the United States, American Indian

people have endured waves upon waves of structural oppression. From

forced removal from Native land, massacres, and the outlawing of cultural and

spiritual ways of life to the establishment of boarding schools to systematically

assimilate Native children (Little, 2018), the American Indian people survived.

In 1879, the United States government established the first boarding school:

Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania (“Past,” n.d.). There would

eventually be 367 boarding schools across the United States tasked with

assimilating American Indian individuals, according to the National Native

American Boarding School Healing Coalition (n.d.). Structural racism forced

American Indians to live with fear of being hurt physically, being attacked, or

fearing for their lives if they spoke their native language and lived their ancient

ways of life. Federal laws even exist that discriminate specifically against this

population (Heinsius, 2019). The past has left a lasting impact on this

community and its members’ mental health intergenerationally. Often called

“epigenetics,” there is scientific proof that the memories and experiences of

our ancestors are passed down to us in our DNA. Today, many descendants

of those who endured historical trauma live with the long-term effects:

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, shock, and grief (Schiele,

Gottschalk, & Domschke, 2020; SAMHSA, 2014).

A Personal Story: J. Carlos Rivera

I have faced many adversities in my life, and they have ultimately guided me

to resiliency, discipline, and a sense of direction. I was raised without both my

parents and became a ward of the court at age thirteen, resulting in me

spending most of my adolescent years in treatment programs, group homes,

and youth authorities. Through the process of treatment and recovery I found

a greater purpose in life that inspired and motivated me to establish a healthy

foundation for my family. Today I am proud to celebrate sixteen years on the

Red Road (i.e., sobriety, long-term recovery), and I dedicate myself to

supporting others on their own healing journeys.

Trauma

Overall, our mental health in Indian country is very unpredictable, and even

when things are good the pain is still there. The spirit of trauma is there,

waiting to be activated, but it is not just the trauma; it is also the grief. Grief

can be triggered by relationships within families and sometimes relationships

can be so fragmented—it is often challenging to be in good relationships with

others.

Parents are often teaching themselves to be the parents they want to be to

their children, but they were never given the opportunity to be children

themselves. Both men and women must acknowledge this for themselves and

learn to heal from the trauma both that they have experienced in their lifetimes

and that they have inherited. Intergenerational trauma shows up in many

ways, including addiction, depression, child abuse, domestic violence, and

suicide (SAMHSA, 2014). Rivera reflects on stories shared by those he has

supported on their journeys through grief and recovery from trauma: “Every

human being wants to feel a sense of belonging, but so many of us spiral into

questioning our worthiness, into addiction, into depression, into not valuing

our own lives. The pain is so deep that you do not want to feel it anymore. It is

that hurtful and that painful that you do not want to be here anymore.” Over

time each person will learn how to respond in their own time, in their own way.

During that time, mothers and fathers may have to step away from their

children to process and learn about where the trauma comes from, how to

break the cycles of violence and pain, and how to heal by connecting with

approaches that reflect American Indian values and ways of knowing.

There are a lot of challenges facing American Indian and indigenous

communities today. The knowledge and understanding that there are choices

is an indicator that the transformation of trauma is in progress. “Each of us

have arrived where we are at today because our experiences that have

shaped us into who we are,” Rivera shares. “I need not be afraid of facing

whatever challenges that come up from my grief and trauma. In ways, I invite

it because I know that the more I heal, the more happiness I am going to

receive.” Rivera also explains that “I want to have as many complete

relationships as possible. When my mom died in 2010, our relationship was

complete and I said everything I needed to say to her before she died. I said,

“I love you, I am mad at you, and I forgive you.’”

Understanding American Indian Clients

There are many theories, concepts, and interventions in modern clinical

psychology that are effective for individuals presenting with mental health

and/or addiction issues, but that do not typically encompass indigenous

philosophy and teachings, often leaving some clients going through treatment

feeling not seen for who they are or misunderstood entirely. This is the first

misstep that many facilities, providers, and counselors make when working

with American Indian relatives (i.e., clientele). Treatment is a doorway into

change, hope for healing, and creating a new vision for the future. In therapy

we seek to not only explore our internal world to build insight, but also to learn

new skills in order to create new habits and behavioral change. Within the

circle, everyone is a participant in sharing; even as listeners they are

witnessing and supporting healing as a community. Circles allow for fathers,

mothers, sisters, brothers, aunties, uncles, cousins, grandparents, friends,

and extended family to share their stories for themselves and for each other to

heal from the past and be in the present by acknowledging the shared trauma

from multiple perspectives. Rivera shares, “What we are doing today—from

right here and back home, up north and south—is sharing a story of a lot of

our people. We have made spiritual agreements to help, but we are living with

the trauma we are working through to heal and show up as helpers.”

Although we often highlight the grief that was passed down to us

generationally from our ancestors, they also passed down resiliency from

generation to generation. Across the nation, circles are creating safe spaces

where American Indian people can show up to support each other. Rivera

states:

We are letting ourselves be seen and heard within

indigenous communities as people who have needed help

and who are able to support others on their healing

journeys. We are healing with others while we are still

healing ourselves. Outside of circles, we often keep ourselves

from others for fear of being categorized and being judged.

This is because we have a long history of being

misunderstood by western society for our beliefs, our

remedies, and our cultural ways.

In the indigenous world, there is a very real fear of being not

strong enough, not reliable, or too emotional. But we must

ask ourselves: Why are we unable to openly talk about these

struggles without being considered damaged goods? There

is so much to be learned from circles, where people can

share freely their past, their present, and their future. We

have learned that there are rules, and right and wrong ways.

We have been socialized by school and the modern society,

but the concept of failure is not ours. There is no fear of

failure in indigenous ways of knowing, only the best- versus

worst-case scenario. This is resiliency.

Circles are safe spaces for transformation and healing to occur. Rivera notes

that American Indian and indigenous people “have the skills and solutions to

heal today and the option to heal with space to do things that our

grandparents did not have the space to do. The only thing holding us back is

ourselves. Our own thinking and our own unresolved pain and grief are

holding us back from healing, and learning the culture and traditions.”

The Red Road

Reinventing what healing looks like for American Indian people today is

defined by their communities individually and uniquely. Like sacred

ceremonies, traditions, and cultural knowledge, the misinterpretation and

outlawing of Native ways of knowing does not change its value and validity,

past or present. “Today we are not justifying, we are not asking for permission

to do it,” Rivera reflects. In western culture, the role of “counselor” is often

earned by going to college and earning a degree. But in indigenous

communities, trusting someone with your thoughts and opening yourself up to

healing together requires trust and honesty with yourself and others. One way

American Indian and indigenous people access this is on the Red Road.

Today, Rivera passes on the teachings from circles through his organization

Generation Red Road. The mission of Generation Red Road is to revitalize

and promote intergenerational healing by utilizing indigenous teachings that

provide harmony for individuals, families, and communities. With various

approaches, theories, and interventions being brought to the forefront every

few years in the mental health and substance use fields, it is an honor to

share more about traditional indigenous teachings that have brought healing

and hope to many people across the globe for decades. The Red Road

approach was developed in 1980 by Gene Thin Elk, Lakota from the Great

Sicangu Nation (Rosebud Sioux Tribe), to address disparities in the substance

use field as it relates to the American Indian population (Thin Elk, 1993). Thin

Elk went through treatment and found his sobriety in the early 1980s, and

after connecting to others seeking sobriety he began to develop a treatment

model based upon spiritual and cultural components that addressed addiction

and mental health issues. Thin Elk is an internationally known consultant of

indigenous healing methods dealing with recovery from substance abuse and

psychological trauma. He originated the Red Road approach from therapeutic

and holistic healing processes by incorporating the modern medical model of

addressing disease into the traditional Lakota cosmology and healing

methods that address the disease of personhood and social structure.

“Walking the Red Road” means to live a life free of drugs and alcohol along

with practicing cultural ways of life to bring more balance and fulfillment

internally and within our relationships. The Red Road is the intersection

between the spiritual and physical worlds in which we know Creator and our

ancestors continue to guide us with their love and energy so we can

experience the physical realm in beautiful and powerful ways. It is a road for

anyone and does not carry judgment or imply perfection. It is a way of life that

individuals can make their own, and that promotes wellness, connection, and

a focus on the next generation. Walking the Red Road is a sacred, lifelong

journey that is a process of giving back with gratitude for all we receive along

the way.

The medicine wheel is a source of healing and has medicine within each area

that helps guide individuals along the Red Road of recovery. There are four

quadrants within the medicine wheel: physical, mental, spiritual, and

emotional.

These components are identified in the Red Road approach as the “four

therapy targets” and represent many things collectively such as

developmental stages in our lives, the sacred four directions, and various

other teachings which often differ between tribes. In the Lakota way, there is a

prayer—Mitakuye Oyasin, which translates to “all my relations”—that signifies

how all things are interconnected. As mentioned previously in regards to

intergenerational trauma, there have been many historical moments that are

detrimental to indigenous people. Mass genocide, colonization, boarding

schools, enslavement, relocation, massacres, and many other forms of

historical trauma have created current conditions of poverty, mental health

issues, high addiction rates, and a disconnection from spiritual lifeways for

some individuals. As a part of healing from these traumas and the

accompanying grief, we must look within to identify the areas that are the

most impacted by collective, historical, and personal traumas. Through

ceremony, prayer, and community we are able to seek guidance and heal our

spirits, minds, and bodies through sound, color, and movement.

Within the circle, there is no beginning or end. It is a continuous journey and

process that can hold space for both difficult and positive aspects of life.

There is no right and no wrong, only healing—healing reinvented with every

story shared.

References

• Heinsius, R. (2019). Some in Congress aim to repeal old laws that discriminate

against Native Americans. Retrieved from https://www.knau.org/post/somecongress-

aim-repeal-old-laws-discriminate-against-native-americans

• Little, B. (2018). How boarding schools tried to ‘kill the Indian’ through

assimilation. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/news/how-boardingschools-

• tried-to-kill-the-indian-through-assimilation

• National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. (n.d.). Resources.

Retrieved from https://boardingschoolhealing.org/education/resources/

• “Past.” (n.d.). Retrieved from https://carlisleindianschoolproject.com/past/

• Schiele, M. A., Gottschalk, M. G., & Domschke, K. (2020). The applied implications

of epigenetics in anxiety, affective, and stress-related disorders: A review and

synthesis on psychosocial stress, psychotherapy, and prevention. Clinical

Psychology Review, 77, 101830.

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

(2014). Tips for disaster responders: Understanding historical trauma when

responding to an event in Indian country. Retrieved

from https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma14-4866.pdf

• Thin Elk, G. (1993). Walking in balance on the red road. Journal of Emotional and

Behavioral Problems, 2(3), 54–7.