Shonga Ska: Sacred Horse Society Drug Prevention Program

描述（由申请人提供）：此R21发展申请寻求三年的资金，以开发和试点创新的酒精和药物预防的早期青少年（10-13岁）谁是奥马哈国家在内布拉斯加州东北部的成员。拟议的计划将基于马辅助治疗技术和奥马哈传统的混合有关的马在他们的文化。Shonga Ska（圣马协会）将建立在大平原马文化的强大传统文化价值观的基础上，教导和维持积极的传统价值观和亲社会行为，以延迟酒精和药物实验的开始，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一个有吸引力的，亲社会的，以活动为导向的预防计划，教授人际交往技能，拒绝技能，同情心，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地上的早期药物滥用和相关帮派活动竞争。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岁青少年的马辅助酒精和药物预防计划的可行性; 2）开发基于奥马哈文化的马辅助预防计划; 3）在目标年龄范围内的一小群奥马哈儿童中试点预防计划。 研究者早期基于文化价值观对美洲印第安人的预防工作 研究表明，文化融入与青少年早期的亲社会行为有关，美国印第安儿童对文化内容反应强烈。近300年来，马一直是奥马哈文化身份、价值观和精神的核心。马和人之间的这种传统纽带是向青少年传达关于荣誉、勇气、尊严、保护他人、同情、无私、分享和传统精神的文化价值观和信仰的完美媒介。这种以活动为基础的计划所提供的吸引力和兴奋感将与在这一关键时期发生的帮派招募竞争，因为这一时期酗酒和吸毒。拟议中的计划得到了奥马哈部落的热情支持，并涉及一名部落领袖作为共同调查员。

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.