Shonga Ska: Sacred Horse Society Drug Prevention Program

描述（由申请人提供）：这项R21发展申请寻求三年的资金，用于为内布拉斯加州东北部奥马哈民族的早期青少年（10-13岁）开发和试点一项创新的酒精和毒品预防措施。拟议的计划将基于马辅助治疗技术和奥马哈文化中与马有关的传统的混合。圣马协会将以大平原马文化的强大传统文化价值观为基础，传授和维持积极的传统价值观和亲社会行为，以推迟开始酗酒和吸毒，并减少过渡到经常使用的可能性。这种创新方法的目标是让早期青少年参与到一个有吸引力的、亲社会的、以活动为导向的预防项目中，该项目教授人际交往技巧、拒绝技巧、同理心、文化认同和文化价值观。积极的、以活动为导向的持续预防方案的概念旨在与保留区早期药物滥用和相关的帮派活动进行竞争。该项目的目标将通过三个具体目标来实现：1)调查基于奥马哈马文化的10-13岁早期青少年马辅助酒精和毒品预防方案的可行性；2)开发基于奥马哈文化的马辅助预防项目；3)在奥马哈目标年龄段的一小群儿童中试行预防项目。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This R21 developmental application seeks three years of funding to develop and pilot an innovative alcohol and drug prevention for early adolescents (aged 10-13 years) who are members of the Omaha Nation in Northeastern Nebraska. The proposed program will be based on a blend of equine-assisted therapy techniques and Omaha traditions pertaining to the horse in their culture. Shonga Ska (Sacred Horse Society) will build on strong traditional cultural values of a Great Plains horse culture to teach and sustain positive traditional values and prosocial behaviors to delay onset of alcohol and drug experimentation and to decrease the likelihood of transition to regular use. The goal of this innovative approach is to engage early adolescents in an appealing, prosocial, activity-oriented prevention program that teaches interpersonal Skills, refusal skills, empathy, cultural identity, and cultural values. The concept of a positive, activity-oriented ongoing prevention program is aimed at competing with early substance abuse and associated gang activity on the reservation. The project goals will be achieved through three specific aims: 1) investigating the feasibility of an equine-assisted alcohol and drug prevention program for early adolescents aged 10-13 years based on the Omaha horse culture; 2) developing an equine-assisted prevention program based on Omaha culture; and 3) piloting the prevention program with a small group of Omaha children in the targeted age range. The investigator's earlier prevention work with American Indians based on cultural values has shown that enculturation is associated with prosocial behaviors among early adolescents and that American Indian children are highly responsive to cultural content. The horse has been central to Omaha cultural identity, values, and spirituality for nearly 300 years. This traditional bond between horses and humans is the perfect medium for communicating cultural values and beliefs regarding honor, courage, dignity, protecting others, empathy, unselfishness, sharing, and traditional spirituality to early adolescents. The attractiveness and excitement provided by such an activity-based program will compete with gang recruitment that occurs during this crucial period for early onset alcohol and drug use. The proposed program has the enthusiastic support of the Omaha Tribe and involves a tribal leader as a co-investigator.