Canadian Aboriginal Healing Lodges: A Model For The United States?

Native Americans are over-represented as incarcerated offenders, yet there are few effective programs available to them. Prisoners of Aboriginal ancestry are also over-represented in the Canadian correctional system. A number of culturally appropriate, innovative programs have been developed to effectively lower their recidivism rate in that country. This article explores one such initiative, the Aboriginal-operated healing lodges, by focusing on one institution: the Stan Daniels Healing Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, the largest and oldest in Canada. The history of the center is presented as well as data about its residents, staff, mandate, ideology, programs, and recidivism rates. A number of potential obstacles to the development of such a center in the United States are discussed, but it is concluded that this model might be very effective in some states with a sufficiently high Native American population.