Indigenizing ‘Equine Assisted Learning’: developing and evidencing Syilx horseculture based youth wellness programs

Horses have long held special cultural, spiritual and economic importance in many Indigenous North American cultures, offering teaching, healing and connection to the environment. There is research which supports the value of ‘equine therapy’ and even some that highlights the usefulness of equine assisted interventions for Indigenous ‘clients’, but this project is the first to work from the ground up, working with Indigenous horse culture knowledge to develop and document the development of an Indigenous horse-culture-based wellness program. This project is being developed with and for the Syilx Indigenous community through a partnership with the En’owkin Centre, itself a First Nations Centre of excellence in cultural revitalization and education, to develop and evaluate a horse program which supports youth wellbeing and connection with land and culture.

Faculty Supervisor:

William Cohen

Student:

Partner:

The En'owkin Centre

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

The University of British Columbia - Okanagan

Program: