Anpetu Luta Otipi (Living in a Red Day), USA

Anpetu Luta Otipi "Living in a Red Day" is an effort of the Oglala Lakota Oyate to address the devastating impact that alcohol and other drugs continue to have on the Oyate, our people. It is an effort directed toward our koskalaka and wikoskalaka, the young men and young women of our people. This effort began in 1980 and continues to provide residential alcohol/drug services on a ranch located seven miles south-east of Kyle, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Initially the treatment approach was borrowed from the philosophy of Alcoholics Anonymous. It was a great struggle during the early years for several reasons. First, the lack of a culturally based training program for alcohol/drug counsellors . The counsellors were people who had recently quit drinking or drug use and professed a desire to "help"; what usually happened was that the "counsellors" were unprepared and untrained for the issues the young people brought to them. The stressful nature of the work led to an extremely high turnover in staff. Another barrier was the lack of available training in the field of adolescent treatment; and even more needed, training in the field of Native American adolescent treatment. Another struggle was the lack of community support, and poor treatment facilities.

Eventually these difficulties were overcome. Today our centre is headed by a Lakota staff who are mostly bilingual and certified by the Northern Plains Native American Chemical Dependency Association. The program offers services to young people, ages 12 through 17, and their families.

Every day begins and ends with burning sage, sweetgrass or cedar in and around the facility. Everyday, the grandfather and grandmother spirits are given food and every day begins and ends with blessing. Each staff meeting begins with all participants expressing how they are doing in the Lakota language; and the language is promoted as part of the daily life at Anpetu Luta Otipi. Most of the staff participate in the sweat lodge ceremonies and other ceremonies along with the young people and their families.

Our philosophy includes the belief that the Lakota Oyate have endured hundreds of years of grief, pain, and loss. This has led to generational pain and shame and each generation was led to cope with this pain, shame and grief through the use of alcohol and other drugs.

Our hope for the Lakota Oyate is the young people and this hope is built on a foundation of spirituality, a natural relationship with the earth and a sense of balance within the self. To assist the young person and the family to achieve this sense of balance, we provide individual and group counselling, family counselling, alcohol and drug education, relapse prevention counselling, aftercare planning, and health education within a spiritual and cultural framework. These teachings are all part of our effort, which then impacts on the family, the community, and hopefully, the next generation.