Circle of Mana
Circle of Mana is a locally developed model of practice based on the Circle of Courage [28].
Circle of Mana was developed by Praxis in consultation with the people who originally developed Circle of Courage [12] and places Mana at the centre of the model. People working with young people should ask “what does a young person need from their connections with people in their worlds in order to grow into their potential?”. The model identifies four basic needs:
To belong.
To become good at stuff.
To take responsibility.
To act generously.
The ‘Circle of Courage’ reflects traditional Native American philosophies of raising children alongside Positive Youth Development (PYD) practices from a Western worldview [28]. The foundation is four key developmental goals that support the transition of a young person through their journey into adulthood. These four traditional values and goals are:
Belonging – “I am loved”.
Mastery – “I can succeed”.
Independence – “I can make decisions”
Generosity – “I have purpose in my life”
The Circle of Courage is attributed to Lakota Sioux traditions of the Medicine Wheel. It acknowledges that these four key factors must be present for the healthy transition of young people from childhood to adulthood. The design of the model is divided into four quadrants dedicated to each of the four values and developmental goals. As a sacred icon, the Medicine Wheel signifies the importance of balance, harmony and interconnectedness of life and the relationships we have with each other.
The Circle of Courage incorporates other meanings. It represents the four compass directions (East, West, North, South), and the four elements (wind, water, fire, earth) of the universe. The four colours of the model symbolise the different races and the importance of equality.
References
[12] Personal correspondence (2019) Lloyd Martin and Martin Brokenleg
[28] Brendtro, L., Brokenleg, M., & Van Bockern, S. (2002). Reclaiming youth at risk: Our hope for the future. Bloomington, in: Solution Tree. Retrieved from http://martinbrokenleg.com/wpcontent/uploads/2016/02/22_4_Brokenleg.pdf
Additional resources
Ricky Baker and Developmental Relationships
In his 2020 article, Lloyd Martin (Praxis) uses Taika Waititi’s film ‘Hunt for the Wilder People’ to explore Uri Bronfenbrenner’s concept of moving from deficit to strengths-based, developmental relationships. The concept illustrates, for Ricky (and every other young person) the four basic needs; to belong, to become good at stuff, to take responsibility and to act generously.
Read the article here