Dancing, Singing, Painting, and Speaking the …

1 dancing , Singing, painting , and Speaking the Healing Story:Healing through Creative ArtsThe Aboriginal Healing Foundation Research Series 2012 Aboriginal Healing FoundationPublished by:Aboriginal Healing Foundation75 Albert Street, Suite 801, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5E7 Phone: (613) 237-4441 Toll-free: (888) 725-8886 Fax: (613) 237-4442 Email: & Production:Aboriginal Healing FoundationElectronic version:ISBN 978-0-9881274-1-8 Unauthorized use of the name Aboriginal Healing Foundation and of the Foundation s logo is reproduction of this document is, however, project was funded by the Aboriginal Healing Foundationbut the views expressed in this report are the personal views of the author(s).

2 Ce document est aussi disponible en fran : Linda ArchibaldDancing, Singing, painting , and Speaking the Healing Story:Healing through Creative ArtsPrepared forThe Aboriginal Healing FoundationByLinda ArchibaldWithJonathan DewarCarrie ReidVanessa Stevens2012viiDancing, Singing, painting , and Speaking the Healing Story: Healing through Creative ArtsTable of ContentsAcknowledgements ..v1. Creative Arts and Healing: An Introduction to the Research Project ..1 References ..42. Creative Arts and Healing: An Overview of Indigenous and Western Approaches ..7 Indigenous Approaches to Art and Healing.

3 8 Western Approaches to Creative Arts Therapies ..11 Definitions ..13 References ..143. Creative Arts, Culture, and Healing: Building an Evidence Base ..17 Linda Archibald and Jonathan Dewar Background ..17 The Research Process ..19 Ethical Emerging Themes ..21 Personal Development: Creative Arts-as-Healing ..24 Creative Arts-in-Therapy ..27 Holistic Healing includes Creative Arts ..29 Issues and Challenges ..33 Building Relationship/Building Community ..34 Policy Implications ..35 Note ..37 References ..384. Voices of Healers ..39 Jan Kahehti:io Longboat.

4 Herbalist, Healer. Oshweken, Ontario ..40 Thais Sewell. Healer. Vancouver, British Columbia ..42 Jakob Gearheard. Ilisaqsivik Society. Clyde River, Nunavut ..44 Norman Drynock. Residential School Survivor, Carver, Storyteller, Social Worker. Whitehorse, Yukon ..46 Darlene Cardinal. Community Activist, Cultural Teacher. Grand Prairie, Alberta ..47 Carla Johnson. Artist, Counsellor, Albert, Saskatchewan ..48 Mike MacInnis. Social Worker, Musician. Eskasoni First Nation, Nova Scotia ..49 Ernie Blais. Musician, Square Dancer, Fiddle Judge. Winnipeg, Manitoba ..50 Shirley Flowers. Poet, Therapist.

5 Happy Valley Goose Bay, Labrador ..51 Prayer to the Earthkeepers ..52 Elisapee Davidee Aningmiuq. Cultural Teacher, Counsellor. Iqaluit, Nunavut ..525. Rights of Restoration: Aboriginal Peoples, Creative Arts, and Healing ..55 Linda Archibald, Jonathan Dewar, Carrie Reid, and Vanessa StevensviiiTable of Contents Honouring Your Grief: An Art Therapy Workshop ..55 Introduction ..55 Research Methods ..56 The Participants ..57 Overview of The Workshop ..58 Sunday evening ..58 Monday ..59 Tuesday ..60 Wednesday ..62 Thursday ..63 Friday ..64 Discussion ..66 Interdependent Practice.

6 66 Resiliency and Connection ..68 Read My Tea Leaves Please ..68 Art and Embodiment ..69We Really Just Plant Seeds ..70 Art and Healing: Summary of Impacts ..70 Reflections of an Art Therapist ..72 Conclusions ..72 Notes ..73 References ..75 Appendix 1: Annotated Bibliography of Selected Creative Arts Therapies Literature ..77 Appendix 2: Creative Arts and Healing Survey ..83 Appendix 3: Creative Arts and Healing Survey Coded Data ..87 Appendix 4: Creative Arts and Healing Survey Codebook ..91 Appendix 5: Interview Guide for Healers, Counsellors, Helpers, and Therapists ..95 Appendix 6: Interview Consent Form.

7 97 Appendix 7: Consent Form for Workshop Participants ..99 Table 1: Creative Arts Activities ..19 Table 2: Creative Arts-as-Healing ..24 Table 3: Creative Arts-in-Therapy ..28 Table 4: Culture, Traditions, and the Creative Arts ..30 Table 5: Social Relations ..34 Figure 1: Holistic Healing = Restoring 2: Creative Arts and Healing: Three Interconnected Models ..23ixDancing, Singing, painting , and Speaking the Healing Story: Healing through Creative ArtsAcknowledgementsMany people contributed to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation s Creative Arts and Healing research project: those who took time away from their important work in healing programs across Canada to fill out questionnaires and participate in telephone interviews.

8 The entire staff at Tsow-Tun Le Lum Society especially Yvonne Rigsby-Jones, Nola Jeffery, and Jeff Bob along with the wonderful participants in the May 2010 Healing Your Grief workshop who welcomed researchers into their midst; Philip Bird, whose deep knowledge of quantitative research methods made working with numbers a pleasure; Jackie Brennan and Flora Kallies for providing so many different kinds of support throughout the project; Jonathan Dewar, Carrie Reid, and Vanessa Stevens who each collaborated in their own way and are co-authors of some of the chapters of this report; and Mike DeGagn for his clear and ever-practical vision and leadership.

9 Photographer: Linda Archibald1 Chapter 1 Creative Arts and Healing: An Introduction to the Research ProjectThis report describes the results of a study by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation (AHF) in the use of creative arts in healing programs. The AHF was established in 1998 with a mandate to support the development of sustainable healing processes related to the legacy of Canada s residential school system. Part of this was accomplished through research and evaluation that revealed the significant contribution of cultural interventions to healing out of which the Creative Arts and Healing study grew.

10 As Marlene Brant Castellano wrote in Volume I of the AHF s final report, Research on promising healing practices points to evidence that cultural activities are legitimate and successful healing interventions (Castellano, 2006:148). Since many cultural activities are arts-based, questions arose around the use of creative arts in healing programs; in particular, How often are creative arts incorporated into healing programs? What are the associated benefits and challenges? The formal research question guiding this study was, What happens when art, music, dance, storytelling, and other creative arts become a part of community-based Aboriginal healing programs?