Creative arts, culture, and healing: building an evidence base.

Abstract

While Indigenous societies have acknowledged the healing power of visual art, dance, music, drama, and storytelling for millennia, the western world’s recognition of the therapeutic benefits of the arts is more recent. The Aboriginal Healing Foundation recently completed a study of the use and benefits of creative arts in First Nation, Inuit, and Metis healing programs throughout Canada. This study presents compelling evidence that creative arts, culture, and healing are linked — to each other, certainly, and also linked to the idea that, when given the freedom to choose, communitybased healing programs overwhelmingly include creative arts. The findings should be of interest to Aboriginal communities and organizations engaged in mental health and healing, policy makers, funding bodies, program managers, healers, counsellors, artists, governments, and academics. 1. The authors wish to acknowledge all of the people in communities and organizations who took the time to respond to the Creative Arts and Healing Survey at a time when many were also in the process of shutting down programs or closing their doors due to the winding down of Aboriginal Healing Foundation funding. A special thank you is also offered to the healers, counsellors, and therapists who shared their ideas and insights about creative arts, culture, and healing in telephone interviews and to Tsow-Tun Le Lum Healing Society, workshop facilitators, and participants for allowing researchers to participate in the “Honouring Your Grief” art therapy workshop.

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