White Earth Band of Ojibwe Underage Drinking Prevention and Enforcement Efforts

1
White Earth Band of Ojibwe Underage Drinking
Prevention and Enforcement Efforts

• Presentation by
• Marlin Farley

2
Demographics

• Family Poverty
• 250 miles northwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul
• Poverty is significant in our rural communities
• over 30 of families with children live below the
  poverty level. (worst in the state), compared to
  the Minnesota average of 12.
• Education Level of Parents
• 60 of students graduate from high school
• 11 attend an institution of higher education
  compared to the Minnesota average of 21.7
• The following data was collected January of 2005
  by the White Earth Substance Abuse Collaboration
  and the White Earth Chemical Dependency Program
  and Planning Dept.

3
Demographics

• Family Conflict
• 32 of our children were placed in out-of-home
  placement in 2004
• 100 of the children were American Indian
• 95 of placements and neglect issues were due to
  substance abuse

4
Local Social Factors that Influence Underage
Drinking

• Need to Strengthen Family Bonds
• 17 of students report that they do not feel
  useful or important in their family
• 14 stated their parents do not tell their
  children they love them.
• Parental Supervision
• 56 of the students reported that their parents
  keep track of where they are and who they are
  with when not at home

5
Local Social Factors that Influence Underage
Drinking

• Parent Rules about Alcohol Use
• 56 of youth report that their parents talk to
  them about the consequences of using alcohol,
  controlled substances, or any other high risk
  behavior.
• Perceived Adult Approval of Alcohol Use
• 27 of students that drink alcohol get access to
  beer, wine, and other liquors directly from
  parents and other adult family members.
• Perceived Peer Approval of Alcohol Use
• 58 of high risk students agree that they use
  alcohol because friends drink

6
Local Environmental Factors that Influence
Underage Drinking

• Access to Alcohol
• The top three ways youth get access to alcohol
• 1) 70 of students that drink alcohol report they
  get it from friends that are 21 years of age or
  older
• 2) 42 get it from people that are not of legal
  drinking age, and
• 3) 27 get it from parents or other family
  members.
• Cultural Norms Around Alcohol Use
• 33 of students that use alcohol indicated they
  agree that their community accepts there is an
  underage drinking problem going on and nothing is
  being done to discourage it.

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Local Environmental Factors that Influence
Underage Drinking

• Access to Assessment and Counseling Services
• Waiting list for a substance abuse assessment is
  1.5 months.
• Transportation is a major barrier to access
  support and intervention services.
• Current Alcohol Use
• 65 of our students reported consuming alcoholic
  beverages.
• 29.9 report that they have taken their first
  drink before the 6th grade.
• 33 of the students report binge drinking.

8
Prevention Efforts

• Peacemaking Circles in 2001
• 2002- focus efforts on reducing youth drinking.
  90 of youth crimes were committed under the
  influence of alcohol.
• 2005- the Mahnomen County Peacemaking Circle
  Coordinator started minor consuming program on
  the harmful effects of alcohol. Today, youth
  crime has decreased by over 50.
• May 2004- 40 members of the White Earth Band
  received White Bisons 7 trainings in Bemidji
  Minnesota. Members of the Red Lake Nation and
  Leech Lake Nation also attended the training for
  a total of 120 people.

9
Prevention Efforts

• Fall of 2004- prevention programs using White
  Bisons Sons of Tradition and Daughters of
  Tradition curriculum. We have graduated over 200
  youth. Underage drinking has reduced and more
  children are involved in cultural activities such
  as the drum, pow wow, and traditional ceremony
  than we have seen in decades.
• Fall of 2004- the White Earth Wellbriety
  Coalition and the Wellbriety Movement of the
  Ojibwe. White Earth Wellbriety Coalition grew to
  over 50 members. Fund raising, sober event
  planning, and our Wellbriety Family Sober Camp.
  Videos using our storytellers to convey healthy
  lifestyles and choices through our traditional
  stories. Coalition Building Using Clan Knowledge.

10
Prevention Efforts

• 2005- the coalition negotiated with two
  convenience stores that were going to sell
  alcohol on the reservation. The funding source
  for these c-stores agreed not to allow alcohol
  sales after meeting with the members of the
  coalition.
• Three members of the Wellbriety Coalition
  attended the 6th Annual National Leadership
  Conference in Tucson Arizona. White Earth
  Underage Drinking Task Force. White Earth was
  selected as one of the Native American pilot
  projects.
• 5 youth from White Earth were selected to attend
  CADCAs youth leadership training in the winter
  of 2005.

11
Prevention Efforts

• Winter 2005- received media advocacy training
  from PIRE.
• The White Earth Underage Drinking Taskforce
• educational presentations to community councils,
  school boards
• the movie This Place
• personal testimony
• state and local statistics
• youth are asking community members to sign an
  oath not to buy alcohol for underage drinkers and
  for youth to vow not to drink. These oaths will
  be displayed in the public schools and posted in
  the local newspapers.

12
Prevention Efforts

• Law enforcement from two of the three counties
  and our Tribal Police departments are
  collaborating efforts and will be trained in late
  May on Party Prevention and Controlled Party
  Dispersal. Youth volunteers. We will conduct this
  exercise in of our Tribal Housing units.
• The White Earth Wellbriety Drum was honored to be
  selected as the National Wellbriety Drum group by
  White Bison for the years 2005-2010. This is the
  first of 100 Wellbriety Drums in the United
  States, all of the drums will come together at a
  gathering in 2010.
• White Earth has committed to healing and wellness
  in all of our communities which also indicates
  that we are committed to reduce underage
  drinking.