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Abstract

This thesis explores the lived experiences of six Indigenous students at the University of British Columbia who have accessed campus-based recovery support services for substance use. The study investigates the systemic, institutional, and cultural barriers that shape access to recovery, as well as the factors that support Indigenous students’ engagement and success in these programs. Guided by Indigenous Storywork methodology and framed within an Indigenous Culturally Responsive Theoretical (ICRT) framework, this research centers Indigenous voices and stories as sources of knowledge, resistance, and renewal. Through one-to-one Storywork interviews, participants described recovery as relational, non-linear, and deeply connected to land, ceremony, and community. Findings highlight the need for Indigenous-specific recovery spaces, Elder-led supports, and land-based healing in post-secondary settings.