The Sweetgrass Method of Bullying Prevention for Native Youth serves as an instrument and strategy to communicate, collaborate and continue healthy journeys for native people. Native Americans have held sweetgrass as sacred for a very long time. Sweetgrass is used to cleanse the heart so that our hearts feel the truth, grow in harmony and balance, and feel compassion, gentleness and thoughtfulness for others. The Sweetgrass Method forms a culturally responsive method of delivery for bullying prevention by looking at the three braiding strands: introspective (looking within self), collaboration with families (reaching out to others), and continuity (providing continued support) as a means of developing partnerships. What we bring from this is an understanding that we as educators will braid the introspective (self) with collaborative and constant support efforts for students and their families (Baez, 2011).
Although the Sweetgrass Method is not an empirically based research approach, it is a method that addresses cultural partnerships with traditional practitioners as important stakeholders in addressing “traditionally” how Native youth should carry themselves in public.
Population of focus: Native American Youth
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Reference: Baez, Mark Standing Eagle and Isaac, Patricia (2013) “A Sweetgrass Method of Bullying Prevention for Native American Youth,” Journal of Indigenous Research: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 1