While developing the WMDCP we have used many already established and proven recovery principles. The LTBB culture served as our main guide. The Seven Grandfather Teachings, Medicine Wheel Teachings and the White Feather Story are the foundation of WMDCP.
We used the Ten Key Components of Wellness Courtsas a guide when organizing the overall structure of our court program. We examined many examples of how other Tribal Drug courts utilized these guidelines and in many cases were able to adopt their ideas into our program.
WMDCP has utilized the Twelve Stepas a guide in developing the treatment portion of the program. These programs are established and successful in treating drug and alcohol addiction. Alcoholics Anonymous(AA) and The Red Road to Wellbrietymake up the core of our treatment curriculum. Many natives have used these principles to get clean and sober.
“Time and again our Elders have said that the 12 Steps of AA are just the same as the principles that our ancestors lived by, with only one change. When we place the 12 Steps in a circle then they come into alignment with the circle teachings that we know from many or our tribal ways. When we think of them in a circle and use them a little differently, then the words will be more familiar to us.”
-The Red Road to Wellbriety
The WMDCP program, obviously, would not exist without the help of all of these components and many others. We hope to honor the Creator and all the people who developed the ideas incorporated into our Drug Court Program by using them in a good way. Furthermore, we invite any other court entities to use the WMDCP or any of its components that might be helpful to your people.
