survivance is medicine
the survivance initiative
a program of the appalachian rekindling project
survivance
“…is an active resistance and repudiation of dominance, obtrusive themes of tragedy, nihilism, and victimry.”
Gerald Vizenor, 1993
Anishinaabe cultural theorist
community
is overdose
prevention
our determination to
hold on to one another
The Survivance Initiative is a harm reduction program covering Kentucky, focusing on Indigenous communities.
We train community members to respond to an overdose and how to sit with the moments following. The program distributes naloxone kits containing handmade teas, salves, and sacred medicines to support Indigenous drug users. We provide supportive wellness spaces, from beading and salve-making to trainings and game nights, that encourage connection and combat erasure and loss.
Our primary group agreement in this Initiative is paraphrased from Gerald Vizenor’s recounting of a Dakota man’s viewpoint on accountability in Survivance: Narratives of Native Presence:
“We are responsible for one another’s wellbeing, yes. But we do not speak for each other, decide for each other, or answer prying questions about each other.”
To us, survivance is a living practice, it is our direct survival, but it is also the laughter in our mouths, our traditions, the telling of our own stories, our tenacity, our insistence, and our rejection of the narratives promoting our absence.
overdose aftercare
mutually assured survival
All our relations are needed. We know that everyone deserves to survive an overdose and every community deserves to be equipped to avoid loss.
what’s in the kit?
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![Two containers of narcan or nasal naloxone sitting on a natural bed of moss and flowers]()
The nasal naloxone in our kits enables recipients to have a way to reverse overdose and keep more people alive.
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![Two packages of test strips that test for fentanyl and xylazine, sitting on top of moss and flowers]()
Fentanyl and xylazine test strips to test supplies for safe use.
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![A braid of sweetgrass pictured next to sage and cedar inside a multicolored sealed packet, on top of moss and dried flowers]()
To benefit Indigenous people who use substances, we have included sweetgrass, cedar, and sage that can provide cultural spiritual support. These are grown, gathered, and packed into kits with tradition and care.
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![A set of bandages and skin protectant on top of moss and dried flowers]()
wound care items such as bandages and skin protectant
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![A sealed packed marked tea for restlessness leans on a white tea pot and cop, sitting on dried moss and flowers]()
This tea is made with passionflower, lemon balm, and chamomile. It is a calming tea that can help with restlessness and anxiety that some may experience after an overdose.
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![A sealed packet marked pepperming for nausea leans on a white tea pot and cup, sitting on dried moss and flowers]()
This tea is made with peppermint leaves to relieve nausea during withdrawal.
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![A metal container with a handmade salve sits on top of dried moss and flowers]()
Made with nettle and yarrow, these handmade salves are provided to offer comfort to sore muscles and skin.
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![A handmade card and sticker sit within a cardstock box, amongst dried flowers, moss, and tiny lights]()
We include handmade cards, info sheets, and stickers that provide information on the kit, never use alone numbers, and phrases and symbols that are meaningful to us.
request survivance Kits
physical, spiritual, mental, emotional wholeness & wellbeing
To order, please use this form to let us know where to send it. You can request a kit:
if you need one for yourself or if you need one for someone in your life
if you have a Kentucky space that can stock them for others to grab
if you would like one to have on hand to support a community member
These kits are for use to respond to an overdose and to provide overdose aftercare.
“to remain alive or in existence, to outlive, persevere with a suffix of survivancy.”
Gerald Vizenor
