The International Indigenous Policy Journal Volume 2 Article 7 Issue 1 Health and Well-Being May 2011 Awakening: 'Spontaneous recovery’ from substance abuse among Aboriginal peoples in Canada Adrien Tempier Colleen A. Dell University of Saskatchewan,
[email protected] Elder Campbell Papequash Randy Duncan Raymond Tempier Recommended Citation Tempier, A. , Dell, C. A. , Papequash, E. , Duncan, R. , Tempier, R. (2011). Awakening: 'Spontaneous recovery’ from substance abuse among Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The International Indigenous Policy Journal, 2(1) . DOI: 10.18584/iipj.2011.2.1.7 This Research is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in The International Indigenous Policy Journal by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Awakening: 'Spontaneous recovery’ from substance abuse among Aboriginal peoples in Canada Abstract There is a paucity of research on spontaneous recovery (SR) from substance abuse in general, and specific to Aboriginal peoples. There is also limited understanding of the healing process associated with SR. In this study, SR was examined among a group of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Employing a decolonizing methodology, thematic analysis of traditional talking circle narratives identified an association between a traumatic life event and an ‘awakening.’ This ‘awakening’ was embedded in primary (i.e., consider impact on personal well-being) and secondary (i.e., implement alternative coping mechanism) cognitive appraisal processes and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation rooted in increased traditional Aboriginal cultural awareness and understanding. This contributed to both abstinence (i.e., recovery) and sustained well-being (i.e., continued abstinence).