HOLDING HOPE SERIES | Wellbriety Movement Focuses on Recovery and Treatment Surrounding Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Communications

Wellbriety is one movement within Indigenous communities that empowers individuals and families to maintain sobriety.

Wellbriety provides culturally based healing to the next seven generations of Indigenous People, according to White Bison, a Native American-operated nonprofit dedicated to creating and sustaining a grassroots Wellbriety Movement.

Don Coyhis of the Mohican Nation is the President and Founder of White Bison, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Coyhis originally set out to raise awareness and treat alcoholism among American Indian youth on the reservations. After studying the underlying causes of alcoholism, White Bison’s mission expanded to include drug addiction, dysfunctional families and relationships, as well as the American Indian suicide rate.

From this, the Wellbriety Movement was born, according to WhiteBison.org.

“The teachings of Wellbriety go beyond being sober to include thriving in the community and being balanced emotionally, mentally, physical and spiritually,” according to the website. “Over the past 26 years, Don has developed a series of culturally based programs to address recovery and treatment, youth prevention and treatment, programs for healthy families, and healing from unresolved grief and traumatic loss due to intergenerational trauma. These programs are designed to help with all facets of family healing and have been implemented throughout the United States and Canada. Don has dedicated his life to raising awareness about all issues surrounding alcohol and drug abuse, how it impacts the family system and, most importantly, how families and communities can heal from these issues.”

White Bison was founded in 1988 with a mission to bring 100 communities into healing by 2010. Originally, White Bison set out to help young people, but as it progressed, Coyhis discovered that the focus had to be on individual healing first.

“We began to develop culturally-based programs for recovery and treatment of alcohol and substance use, and began working in Indigenous communities all over Turtle Island,” according to WhiteBison.org. “As the need for these programs grew, a movement was born, and it became The Wellbriety Movement. Wellbriety means to live a sober life that is balanced emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. White Bison’s Mission today is creating and sustaining a grassroots Wellbriety Movement that provides culturally based healing to the next seven generations of Indigenous People.”

The Wellbriety Movement is guided by a Council of Elders. As The Wellbriety Movement began to take hold, the Elders said the Movement must have a heartbeat to give it life.

“In 2006, we designated the very first official National Wellbriety Drum, which was the Eagle Spirit Drum from Minnesota. The National Wellbriety Drum was to be present at all of our national gatherings in order to be the heartbeat of the Wellbriety Movement and provide the medicine of songs to our people to help them heal. The Eagle Spirit Drum fulfilled their 4-year commitment and helped provide some much needed healing to those that joined us at our gatherings,” the website said.

In 2012, White Bison and The Wellbriety Movement designated a new Wellbriety Drum. The National Wellbriety Drum is now made up of people who are located all over the country. They came from different drums with a wealth of experience in singing to form The Wellbriety Drum.

For more information, visit WhiteBison.org.

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The Holding Hope Series focuses on sharing ways the Osage Nation Primary Residential Treatment (PRT) Center supports individuals suffering from substance abuse. If you or a loved one needs support, please call (918) 287-5413. #holdinghope