The Way of Our People

These inspirational meditations, prayers, and stories were written by an Ojibwe Elder and alcohol and drug counselor to speak directly to American Indians about their everyday experience of recovery from alcoholism. A combination of Ojibwe and Twelve Step spiritual principles and practices and stories from Indians struggling with recovery create an authentic experience of the challenges and rewards of living sober for Native people, whether they are on the reservation or in urban settings. People from all tribes will recognize spiritual laws like Honesty, Sharing, Kindness, and Strength and traditional rituals such as offering tobacco with prayers and can apply the teachings from their own culture to these messages.The importance of reliance on the Creator, the wisdom of Elders, and sober community support inform these writings to provide strength to counteract the harsh realities of poverty, violence, and broken relationships fueled by alcohol abuse. A meditation, seven daily prayers, and selected stories "from the rooms" of AA meetings will be presented for each of the 52 weeks of the year providing a weekly and daily source of inspiration and hope.

About the author Donald Richard Wright is an Elder of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. He has been a alcohol and drug counselor for over eighteen years, most of that time working with inner city Indian youth in Minneapolis.