“Healing Begins with Zaagi’ LOVE ~ A Traditional

Approach to Treatment & RecoveryTagwii Recovery Center, SUD Department; FDLHS

Patti Baker-Dupuis, CADC; Mike Munnell, BA, LADC

Lisa Tranah, BSW, LSW, LADC

Introduction to Fond du Lac

• The Fond du Lac Human Services Division is located on the Fond du Lac Reservation. It is located in Carlton and St. Louis counties about 15 miles west of Duluth. The Treaty of 1854 established the reservation. The FDL Reservation has more than 3,700 enrolled members and over 9,120 active users of its Human Services programs.

• The FDL SUD(Substance Use Disorder Programs) are licensed by the Fond du Lac Reservation Business Committee to provide intensive outpatient treatment and case management services for chemically dependent American Indian people living in the service area.

Tagwii

Tagwii is the star which appears every month, right beside the new moon. This star and the moon travel together. Tagwii is the exuberance of the youth, like the little one running around the bigger one and teasing, “Why are you so slow?” It is difficult to be that age-and for the people close to you. A lot of young people go through that rambunctious behavior before they find themselves.

Tagwii is the star that learns- one needs never to walk alone. Men and Women who were seen to never have a chance, to have run in too so many difficulties in their lives, need to walk with one another for a while. Each one needs to contribute to his own well being and find his way – never to travel alone – but by giving of oneself, learn how to walk on one’s own.

Tagwii also speaks of the man or women walking a path on the outside, while taking the same journey on the inside, it is a holistic healing.

Tagwii will bring people together to help each other for a time. Then, through contributing to one’s own life and helping others along the way, each will find a new path to travel and will complete the set, complete the circle.

Tobasonakwut “Peter” KinewApril 15, 2009

Drum (Dewe’igan)

• On November 19, 2010, Langford Ogemah, traditional Anishinaabe spiritual advisor and elder from Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Canada presented our Tawii Recovery Center’s Outpatient Treatment Program with a traditional healing drum.

On that day, a very special drum honoring ceremony and feast were held at Tagwii Recovery Center. Many Fond du Lac Reservation community members, treatment clients, treatment alumni, Min-No-Aya-Win Administrators and Behavioral Health staff were in attendance.

During the ceremony, Mr. Ogemah spoke in Ojibwe language regarding his dream about this drum, the drum’s purpose, significance and instructions for it’s proper use, care, maintenance, and feeding or feasting which is done during Spring and Fall of each year. Later, Mr. Ogemah translated this into English language so everyone in attendance could understand what he said.

Drum (Dewe’igan)

• Mr. Ogemah concluded the interpretation of his dream by stating the name of the drum as being called “In-gaa-wii-to-kaaz”, which in Anishinaabemowin means “I will help”. Mr. Ogemah stated that the drum has a Grandfather Spirit within it and that his purpose, just as his name “ In-gaa-wii-to-kaaz” implies, is to help our people to heal.

Alcohol and Drug Addiction is a spiritual disease and as such, it requires a spiritual remedy in order for our people to heal themselves from the spiritual disease. Our drum, “In-gaa-wii-to-kazz”, by the healing nature of its heart-like drum beat and songs of the singers, helps our people by helping to heal their wounded spirits.

The Medicine Wheel

East Doorway

• Wah-ba-noong

• Air

• Emotional Connection

• Nourishment

• Family

~The critical component is honesty,

~Bagosendan “Hope”,

~Faith

South Doorway

• Zah-wa-noong

• Earth

• Spiritual

• Protection

• Relatives

The key is help them find themselves,

~Courage to look within,

~Integrity,

~Entice willingness,

West Doorway

• Ning-ga-be-uh-noong

• Water

• Physical

• Growth

• Animals

~Key component-”Finding Our relatives”, (who are you, who do you come from”)

~Humility

~Forgiveness

~Justice

North Doorway

• Gi-way-din-noong

• Fire (Sacred Fires)

• Mental

• Wholeness

• Community

~Perseverance ( Family Wellness Ceremonies)

~Spiritual Awareness

~Service (Finding Elders, Seeking Out Wisdom)

Four Movements of Human Development

• Nourishment- To get our people to have interactions with the human physical environments without chemicals with relatives. ( Examples: Sobriety Feast, Sweat Lodge, Healing Ceremonies, Letting Go Ceremonies)

• Protection- This begins with identifying what our wholeness is. It’s the emergence of their seed of potential to lead a chemical-free life.

• Growth- Three areas to touch on to pursue their life experiences is 1) The Center; 2) The Inner Life/Inner Reflection & Change; 3) What’s Hidden;

• Wholeness- The Unity & Centeredness.

Healing Begins with Zaagi’ LOVE

Healing Begins with Zaagi’ LOVE They are Our FUTURE…