Alfreda  

“Recovery begins the moment we choose to plant new roots and give that hope a chance to grow. We all carry resilience within us already.” 

My name is Morning Starr (Alfreda), I am Southern Ute, Southern Cheyenne and Caddo Nation. I am a mother of six children and have eight grandchildren. I’ve lived most of my life in Oklahoma, and it’s where I started my journey of recovery and healing, thus being able to bring home my experience, strength and hope – so many others may heal. I recover out loud because my story can help someone else from struggling in silence and know they are not alone. 

My 50-year journey was not easy as I grew up with childhood trauma, domestic violence, community trauma, intergenerational trauma, and not knowing my self-worth. I began drinking at age 11, experienced abusive relationships, and spent years caught between addiction, prison, self-destruction and toxic relationships. The breaking point came in 2016, when I lost my son and had to make the decision to take him off life support. I turned away from Father God and sank deeper into drugs and alcohol, losing four years of my life. 

Then one night, I dreamt of my son while I was in county jail on my way to prison for the third time. That dream pushed me to finally and truly ask for help. My recovery wasn’t immediate; I relapsed several times, but each time I got up again. Through DUI court, counseling, grief work, and eventually White Bison’s Wellbriety movement, I began healing not just my body, but my spirit. I am the founder and director of Morning Starr Healing Inside and Out located in Oklahoma City and work for the Western Slope Native American Resource Center in Grand Junction, Colo. as the Wellbriety Advocate. I am a White Bison Firestarter and wherever I go I plant seeds of healing and hope. 

Recovery for me means rediscovering my culture, wearing my regalia, dancing, attending sweat lodges, and honoring the traditions that make me rich in spirit. Healing is continuous. When I heal, I heal seven generations back and seven generations forward, forgiving the unforgivable. 

I’ve faced stigma, as a Native woman and as a person who had a substance use disorder, but I’ve learned the biggest roadblock was myself. Once I learned to love and forgive myself, and accept Father God in my life, everything changed. I now speak publicly so that others know they’re not alone. Healing isn’t about perfection; it’s about persistence, love, compassion, and community. 

To those still struggling or loving someone who is: show no judgment. Offer kindness. Recovery takes time, but there is always hope. I am living proof that no matter how far gone you feel, you can come back. Today, I am sober, grounded in myself again, and surrounded by my family and interconnected to many.  I live each day tending to my Healing Forest; one story, one heart, one fire at a time.