Toward a Relational Ethics in Equine Therapy: Indigenous Perspectives on Consent, Autonomy, and Care

August 26, 2026 @ 12:00PM — 1:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada) Add to Calendar

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Toward a Relational Ethics in Equine Therapy: Indigenous Perspectives on Consent, Autonomy, and Care

Join us on August 26, 2026 at Noon (ET) as Dr. Lynn Mad Plume and Erika Mad Plume discuss developing an Indigenous ethical model for equine-assisted services through community-based research.

As equine-assisted therapy grows in popularity, most frameworks for ethics, safety, and consent remain grounded in Western biomedical or performance-based models. These often treat horses as tools rather than sentient collaborators in healing. For Indigenous communities, horses are sacred relatives — and the therapeutic relationship is deeply spiritual, reciprocal, and bound by protocol. There is an urgent need to uplift Indigenous perspectives that reframe the ethical foundations of EAS. By engaging with cultural practitioners, youth, and Elders who work with horses daily, this research reveals how consent, autonomy, and care manifest in community-based equine settings. These insights challenge dominant paradigms and invite practitioners to adopt a more holistic, relational, and culturally responsive approach. This work also addresses the ethical tension many Indigenous communities experience when trying to participate in EAS certification or mental health systems that erase their cultural values. A relational ethics framework offers a new path forward—one where horses, humans, and healing exist in balance.

Dr. Lynn Mad Plume (Amskapi Piikani) is from Two Medicine, Montana, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. She holds a BS in Community Health and Sociology from Montana State University, an MPH in American Indian Public Health from North Dakota State University, and a PhD in Indigenous Health from the University of North Dakota. Her work focuses on Indigenous-led, land-based healing, with a particular emphasis on equine-assisted programs that support wellness, cultural connection, and recovery for Native youth and families. Lynn’s background spans community health, program development, and public health research, guided by a deep respect for relationality, cultural knowledge, and collective healing. She is committed to ensuring her work reflects authenticity and service to her community. Outside of work, Lynn enjoys time with her horses and animals in Two Medicine, reading, hiking, and being with family.

Erika Mad Plume, SWLC, ACLC (Amskapi Piikani), is a mental health therapist and addictions counselor from the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. Her work is grounded in Indigenous values of humility, interconnection, and collective healing. Born and raised in Browning, Erika brings a deep cultural understanding to her therapeutic practice, with a strong emphasis on equine-assisted mental health and culturally responsive care. Her approach is trauma-informed, strengths-based, and relational, integrating Indigenous knowledge systems with evidence-based modalities. Erika is especially focused on the role of the horse as a therapeutic and cultural relative, supporting mental wellness, grief recovery, and reconnection for Native youth and families. She is committed to creating healing spaces that center belonging, cultural identity, and community wellness. Her work reflects a deep dedication to land-based, culturally grounded approaches to behavioral health in Indigenous communities

* Lynn and Erika spoke at HHRF's 2026 conference



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