Adapting Music Therapy Interventions Using Ojibwe Musical Traditions within White Earth Nation
Location
John Q. Imholte Hall, Room #112
Event Website
https://2026undergraduateresearchsy.sched.com/event/2Ix8A/adapting-music-therapy-interventions-using-ojibwe-musical-traditions-within-white-earth-nation
Start Date
15-4-2026 4:00 PM
End Date
15-4-2026 4:30 PM
Description
Music therapy historically developed within Western clinical frameworks. While growing research supports therapeutic benefits, existing literature often overlooks key barriers contributing to inequities and access to care. Structural barriers include limited access to care, Westernized training models, and underrepresentation in the field. These barriers can make accessibility to care within Indigenous communities challenging. It is necessary that culturally adaptive practices in music therapy continue to be researched, especially when Westernized education that treats culturally diverse clients may be less effective. Taking effective steps necessary to create a culturally responsive approach such as the communities’ needs and implementing adaptive treatment interventions make music therapy more accessible in Indigenous communities. This research examines community needs in White Earth Nation and proposes cultural adaptations of existing music therapy treatment interventions to better reflect Ojibwe musical traditions. Identifying specific treatment needs within the community is essential for the music therapist to create treatment plans suited to the client population. This study also compares Ojibwe musical traditions and healing practices to better understand how they differ from Western therapeutic approaches. The sources are interdisciplinary, including music therapy literature, ethnomusicological scholarship, and research on Ojibwe healing traditions. Additionally, community insight and perspectives from individuals connected to White Earth community also contribute to this work by providing context for understanding accessibility to care and the role of music in healing practices. By comparing existing music therapy interventions with Ojibwe cultural frameworks and identifying treatment needs, this project explores how music therapy treatment interventions could be designed to better support Ojibwe clients making care more accessible and culturally adaptive.
Publication Date
2026
Adapting Music Therapy Interventions Using Ojibwe Musical Traditions within White Earth Nation
John Q. Imholte Hall, Room #112
Music therapy historically developed within Western clinical frameworks. While growing research supports therapeutic benefits, existing literature often overlooks key barriers contributing to inequities and access to care. Structural barriers include limited access to care, Westernized training models, and underrepresentation in the field. These barriers can make accessibility to care within Indigenous communities challenging. It is necessary that culturally adaptive practices in music therapy continue to be researched, especially when Westernized education that treats culturally diverse clients may be less effective. Taking effective steps necessary to create a culturally responsive approach such as the communities’ needs and implementing adaptive treatment interventions make music therapy more accessible in Indigenous communities. This research examines community needs in White Earth Nation and proposes cultural adaptations of existing music therapy treatment interventions to better reflect Ojibwe musical traditions. Identifying specific treatment needs within the community is essential for the music therapist to create treatment plans suited to the client population. This study also compares Ojibwe musical traditions and healing practices to better understand how they differ from Western therapeutic approaches. The sources are interdisciplinary, including music therapy literature, ethnomusicological scholarship, and research on Ojibwe healing traditions. Additionally, community insight and perspectives from individuals connected to White Earth community also contribute to this work by providing context for understanding accessibility to care and the role of music in healing practices. By comparing existing music therapy interventions with Ojibwe cultural frameworks and identifying treatment needs, this project explores how music therapy treatment interventions could be designed to better support Ojibwe clients making care more accessible and culturally adaptive.
https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urs_event/2026/oralpresentations/16