Seminar: Indian Country School Counselors Institute Professional Development Program
Program: ICSCI
Subject Area: Counseling
Grade Level: High school
Year of Publication: 2022
Abstract
Willow bark is a medicine that effectively relieves pain. This fascinating tree also symbolizes fertility and new life; for instance, a new tree will grow by transplanting a willow branch into the ground. Its ability to grow and survive is powerfully symbolic, showing how we can thrive in various conditions. Likewise, weathering is a term taken from the idiom: weather the storm. The storm is what people must endure when difficult situations arise. Using this analogy, students transferring to school in Flagstaff will have to deal with certain trials and tribulations unique to their lives. Still, they will continue growing in a strong yet flexible way, like a willow. A key component of their thriving in this group is to explore stories of their family and other relatives to gain a cultural understanding of success. The storm, on the other hand, could represent anything adverse or inuring, but because we are currently in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, this group will discuss things or people we have lost and how this affected our lives. Although indigenous students remain resolute in developing their minds when they choose to attend school in Flagstaff, we will explore family as a culturally responsive intervention concept to strengthen this transfer.