LifeSkills Training Program offered at Maskwacis
It is a community defined by its contrasts. On the one hand, Maskwacis-formerly known as Hobbema-is a place of tradition, family, hope and healing. On the other, there is substance abuse and violence. More than 14,000 people call Maskwacis home, including long-time resident Natasha Rabbit. She says community members are working to embrace the good, while correcting the bad.
"We identified what it was that was missing," says Rabbit. "Just that sense of identity, pride and basic skills."
Rabbit has lived in the community long enough to see several programs teaching life skills to youth come and go, often because what was being taught was perceived as not being culturally relevant. But she, along with researchers from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, say over the past three years they have seen remarkable gains, thanks to the community embracing an innovative program being taught in schools.
"The community has identified a program that they believe works to address youth substance abuse and violence," says Lola Baydala, an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics. "They know [the program] works and evaluation of the program has provided evidence to support their beliefs."
The university-backed initiative, Maskwacis Lifeskills Training Program, was first introduced in 2011 after community leaders asked Baydala to partner with them to identify and deliver a substance abuse and violence prevention program that could be taught to children and youth in their schools. The Botvin Life Skills Training Program was identified as the program that had the most evidence to support its effectiveness. As a first step, and in keeping with the principles of knowledge translation research, community members and elders adapted the program to ensure that it incorporated the culture, language, history and identity of their community.
"We knew that elders were important because they hold a lot of the traditional teachings and cultural teachings," says Rabbit. "We utilized them in the adaptations of the manuals, right into classroom delivery. We even brought the elders in digitally by creating digital stories to be shown to our youth in the classrooms."
"The power is in the adaptation," adds Baydala. "The whole process of culturally adapting the program ended up being a catalyst for community development and change, because it was community members and elders who led the adaptation process."
According to Ted Greenaway, a consultant working with Maskwacis leaders, many First Nations' communities are struggling to recover from a loss of identity as a result of colonialism and residential school experiences. "They lost their sense of purpose and who they are, so they are very vulnerable to all of the temptations that society is very willing to offer."
Baydala adds, there is strong evidence that suggests by reclaiming culture, history, language and identity, many problems with substance use in Aboriginal communities can be prevented.
Much of that reclamation work can be seen in The Maskwacis Lifeskills Training Program. The program has been used in several Maskwacis classrooms since 2011, with a component focusing on children in grades three through five, and another component aimed at youth in grades six through eight. While its initial aim was to reduce fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in the community by addressing the root cause-substance abuse-Baydala says with the help of the community, it has grown into something more powerful and enduring.
Community members who understand the culture, language and history of the community, facilitate delivery of the program. "Because program facilitators are from the community they are committed to supporting their children and youth for the long term. They really understand the community and the difficult issues they face. They will never give up on the kids, because they are their kids."
The impact of the program has been noticeable, says Rabbit. It teaches the children not just why they should say no to drugs and alcohol, but how to say no. She adds, the use of tobacco is taught as having cultural significance, but also as something that should not be abused. Youth also learn to show respect, and how to get past anxiety and anger issues, rather than just coping with them.
Rabbit says in a class she taught, there was a dramatic change in attitudes. "You could see the change in the kids. It wasn't immediate, but it came fast. Eventually we had one of the best classes in the school by the time the year ended. When they entered Grade 4, they were the role models in the school."
Between 2011 and 2014, the Maskwacis Lifeskills Training Program has been taught to nearly 200 students in six schools. But funding for the program is coming to an end this winter.
With the returns already seen from the program, the community has organized the Nehiyaw Kakeskewina Learning Society, a non-profit organization, in hopes of finding funding to continue teaching it. Those helping to lead the way say it is a clear signal of success and of a community willing to work together for the sake of their youth.
"They really believe in it," says Baydala. "And they really believe in their kids."
Funding for the Maskwacis Lifeskills Training Program has been provided by the Alberta Centre for Child and Family Community Research, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Aboriginal Peoples Health, and Alberta Health Services.