b'Cultural Mental Health and Wellnesswith Ethleen Iron Cloud-Two Dogs, TYRC Tribal YouthTraining and Technical Assistance ManagerGreetings Relatives! Id like to encourage some thinking about ourmental, emotional and spiritual well-being,particularly among children and youth. Mentalhealth is often associated with the health of ourthinking and attitudes, which leads toexpressions of behavior that are healthy,unhealthy, harmful, or self-harmful. The westernbehavioral health approach is to assess,diagnose, and respond with treatment that mayinvolve hospitalization, medication, counseling, Pictured Above: Ethleen Iron Cloud-Twoand other therapeutic strategies depending on Dogs, Tribal Youth Program Training andthe severity of the need of the individual.Technical Assistance ManagerIndigenous approaches to mental health andwellness include addressing the mind, body, Indigenousemotions, and spirit as inseparable parts of the approaches to mentalwhole being; that which impacts one part has an health and wellnesseffect on all the other parts. For example, it is a include addressingLakota belief that when a child, or any individual the mind, body,for that matter, experiences severe trauma or iseven exposed to it, all parts of their self are emotions, and spiritimpacted and without cultural intervention as inseparable parts(according to their respective cultural beliefs), of the whole being;the impact can have far reaching and sometime that which impactslifelong effects. The wound in the spirit created one part has anby the trauma can fester and impact functioning effect on all thein all areas of their life.other parts.Trauma is also related to the loss of a loved one,particularly if the passing of a loved one was13'