Rainbow program helps youth find tradition

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"This is a dream come true."

These were the words of Don Burnstick, Spirit of the Rainbow program worker, spoken as he watched about 300 young people holding hands in a round dance at the Enoch rec centre gym.

Burnstick was raised on the Alexander reserve and was overjoyed to help his people, especially young ones, find their roots and grow up in the Native tradition, instead of succumbing to drugs and alcohol, at a recent Yellowhead Tribal council Eagle Flight '87 youth conference.

Leading young people through round dances; talking straight about sexuality, drugs and alcohol; and giving their Native identity back to them, are just three ways Spirit of the Rainbow leaders like Burnstick, are reaching out and healing the kids to help them break the cycle of addiction and oppression toward leading better lives.

Spirit of the Rainbow is a program for young adults, which started up in British Columbia, and is now administered out of a Lethbridge office along with Four Worlds, another wholistic development program. The program is coordinated by Doreen Sterling, while Phil Johnson and Don Burnstick are facilitators who go out into the communities and work directly with youth. They have been to 50 communities across North America and have worked with about 3,500 kids.

"Awareness is prevention," says Burnstick, explaining it's his job to plant a seed in young people's minds to make them realize the consequences of destructive behaviour. He talks bluntly to them about drugs, peer pressure and sexual promiscuity. But first, he makes friends with them and gains their trust.

"We offer them pure support. We get them to reach out in different ways through workshops and physical activities. And we try to set an example for them to follow . . . that's often the most powerful thing," says Burnstick.

"We show the kids it's OK to show affection. It's been ingrained in a lot of kids ? don't talk, don't feel and don't love. Some of our kids, especially Indian men, have a hard time touching." Burnstick also sees a "lot of hang-ups over sexual values" in the communities he works in. "These kids are supposed to be told about the facts of life at home by their parents . . . but lots of parents don't know how to deal with (talking to their children) because they're hung up, too."

This confusion about sexuality has led to an alarmingly high rate of sexual abuse. "About 80 per cent of the kids have been sexually abused. Alcohol has contributed to this, too."

Burnstick also sees a lot of teen pregnancy. "So, we talk about these issues with them" and try to develop a sense of self-worth and Native pride so they'll be more responsible for their actions.

Spirit of the Rainbow workers need a week, or a minimum of three days, to work with young people in the communities they visit. It takes time to establish a relationship with the kids and the program is structured to slowly bring them out of their shells. Workers introduce traditional ceremonies, Native cultural videos, goal setting, drama, peer counselling, medicine wheels, drumming and games and lectures about issues such as AIDS to reach the kids. They not only talk to the kids, they establish a bond of trust and a sense of unity amongst the workshop participants.

The kids report they enjoy the cultural activities of the program best. Said Jolene Alexander, of Alexander, after a workshop: "I feel a lot closer to my culture now. It makes me feel very proud to be Native."

The size of the group doesn't matter; Burnstick has worked with both small and large, like the one at Enoch which 300 young people attended. Large groups are split into groups for easier management.

Spirit of the Rainbow workers concentrate on the kids, but they also work with adults and parents "because they're a part of the circle, a very important part." Before workers leave a community they try to set up activities for the young people to keep active with on weekends. Hopefully, these actiities will be adopted in the communities to prevent boredom and give the youth something constructive to do.

If you'd like to bring the Spirit of the Rainbow program into your community, call Doreen Sterling at 329-2184. Or write to Spirit of the Rainbow, c/o Four Worlds Development Project, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4.