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Introduction:
Many existing mainstream substance abuse prevention programs come up short by failing to speak to high-risk American Indian (AI) youth on their own terms. Not so with RezRIDERS (Reducing Risk through Interpersonal Development, Empowerment, Resiliency and Self Determination).
Tailored to high-risk AI youth, RezRIDERS fills a gap in substance abuse prevention by recapturing a key historic tradition and addressing the lived experience within AI culture. Traditionally, youth tested themselves in nature under elders’ mentorship, as elders taught them the relevant stories and cultural practices. Youth applied their new knowledge—gained in a context of extreme physical challenge—toward empowerment and community participation. RezRIDERS offers a sustainable program with proven youth appeal to where other tribes, beyond the recent 2012 pilot funded by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA), wish to implement the program. RezRIDERS pairs the appeal of rebel Extreme Sport (e.g. snowboard bans at ski-only resorts) with an evidence-based cognitive-behavioral curriculum resulting in community responsibility in the presence of adult cultural mentors; the result is an Indigenized year-round—and life changing—program that speaks loud and clear to high-risk AI youth.
Background:
In 2001, the RezRIDERS.org web portal was launched to promote American Indians involved/interested in Extreme Sport, providing feature articles and member forums. Since, RezRIDERS as a concept developed into a one-year long positive youth development program following the cycle of water through the seasons; in its form as winter snow, spring river water and summer rain clouds. With the seasons youth participants experience Extreme Sport activities in the presence of culturally-connected (Tribal) adult mentors engaging in dialogue with youth about their core values, hope for future, self-determination based upon an Indigenous Dialogue-Listening-Action model. The resulting one-year experience results with fall season Community Action Projects; harvesting youth driven wisdom to benefit the respective Tribe.
Based on the RezRIDERS curriculum, written by an AI professional snowboard instructor (certified by American Association of Snowboard Instructors), who worked with high-risk AI youth. The curriculum blends public health research grounded in Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) to promote effectiveness and sustainability through a Tribally-driven approach. Indigenous, Social Learning and Empowerment theory are used explain how RezRIDERS works and can be evaluated.
Present:
In 2012, RezRIDERS received a perfect score from the National Institutes of Drug Abuse at the National Institutes for Health to begin accessing program feasibility and early effectiveness indicators. The RezRIDERS Project is the result of a long-term partnership between the Pueblo of Jemez - Department of Education and University of New Mexico - Center for Participatory Research.
Over the next 3 years, RezRIDERS pilots will develop the program and work to expand to other Tribes that have already expressed a desire for this program. Additionally, the program efforts and curriculum development are asked to acknowledge the CopyLeft agreement, simply stating the products will be shared within the RezRIDERS network of Tribal Research Teams (and a necessary element of the program).
Test Rabbit