History of 4 Winds Indigenous Healers
At the Cape Cod Symposium 2011, Judith Landau, as an indigenous healer and holistic physician, spoke with executives of C4 Recovery Solutions (C4), Dee McGraw and Ric Ohrstrom, about her dream of bringing together indigenous healers from around the world and across cultures, to share knowledge and experiences and to help bridge the wisdom of indigenous healing with the current scientific approaches to addiction treatment and recovery. Judith’s dream was consistent with C4’s commitment to support integrative, innovative, and culturally aware approaches to addiction treatment and recovery. C4 supported the initial activities that led to the creation and funding of the 4 Winds Indigenous Healers project (4 Winds). The first 4 Winds meeting was held at C4’s West Coast Symposium on Addictive Disorders (WCSAD) in La Quinta, CA, May 30 to June 2, 2012.
Initial 4-Winds Activities:
4 Winds brings together indigenous healers and leaders from as far away as New Zealand and South America to bridge indigenous healing wisdom and Western scientific approaches to healing and recovery. The initial Summit meeting at WCSAD sought to facilitate and encourage coordination, cooperation, and the sharing of lessons learned. It also focused on promising approaches developed by indigenous peoples to prevent and treat trauma and addiction, and to promote recovery in individuals, families and communities.
Participants (1) drafted a 5-year strategic plan for facilitating future collaboration, coordination, and dissemination, and (2) discussed the prevalence and causes of addiction, its effects, successful interventions, barriers to success, and expectations for the future in indigenous communities throughout the world..
Additional 4 Winds meetings were held at subsequent meetings of the Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorders (CCSAD) and the West Coast Symposium on Addictive Disorders (WCSAD) These meetings resulted in:
Creation of an interactive website to:
- Develop a functional network to better communicate and facilitate knowledge and experience exchange with respect to Trauma, Resilience, Addiction and Health
- Develop a collection of traditional indigenous and culturally aware scientific approaches to prevention, treatment and recovery by facilitating a "two-way" knowledge interchange
- Elevate our understanding of trauma, addiction, mental and physical health among all peoples, across time, location and culture by learning from indigenous healing and Western science techniques
- Build an interactive compendium that can be changed, updated and shared and a standing resource section
- Prepare presentations, videos, and publications for the media, conferences, and other potential audiences for disseminating plans and knowledge acquired, as well as for publication in the resource section of the website
- Utilize the fundamental elements that define C4 Recovery Solutions – consulting, conferencing, convening and collaborating – between the Indigenous healers and their peers in Western Science to achieve a successful interchange
- Since our initiation, 4 Winds has successfully obtained two grants, and continues to work to sustain the endeavor by raising funds, approaching gift-giving foundations, and engaging consultants to identify, prepare and submit appropriate grant proposals.
If you are interested in joining 4 Winds Indigenous Healers, please call 1+ (303) 442-3755 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
