A chilling letter was found in a shed near Alberta Canada written during the boarding school era. The letter reflects the predicament many Indigenous parents faced: punishment or send their children to residential schools. Many parents were reluctant to send their children to residential schools because of the inhumane conditions children lived in, but they […]
A book about the Carlisle Indian School has been released, detailing the cultural genocide that took place within the school’s walls. One story tells of a child names Plenty Horses who was not accepted by his people or by non-Natives after being stripped of his culture and Carlisle. Read Article Here Read PDF Here Source: […]
The Thomas Indian School on the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation has a horrifying history, and it’s a story that has largely been untold in Western New York. Some of the buildings still exist and the Seneca community is still suffering from traumatic experiences at the school. New York has yet to issue an apology for the […]
An account of the Canadian boarding school experience, and how many Canadians still fail to understand the impact still felt by Indigenous communities because of these schools. Over 100,000 people applied to receive payments under the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, which means approximately 10% of Canada’s population has continued to feel the impact from […]
A conservative Canadian senator defends the boarding schools despite the atrocities committed against Indigenous students. The senator commented that she is disappointed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report “didn’t focus on the good.” Read Article Here Read PDF Here Source: John Paul Tasker. “Conservative senator defends ‘well-intentioned’ residential school system.” March 9, 2017. CBC News. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/residential-school-system-well-intentioned-conservative-senator-1.4015115
How “The Great Hurt” a play written by a retired Indigenous artist and college faculty member about contemporary American Indian issues and the boarding school era, is being used to educate students and help communities heal from historical trauma. Non-Natives who saw the play mentioned they never knew the history of boarding schools prior to […]
How a Shaman and non-western cultures view mental illness which contrasts with the western perspective. Incorporating Indigenous practices can help a person. From a Shaman’s perspective, mental illness signifies the “birth of a healer” and that person has been chosen as medium between this world and the spirit realm. Read Article Here Read PDF Here […]
A community explains how traditional Yup’ik healing methods should be implemented to help overcome intergenerational trauma. This article follows a family as they struggle to cope with a young woman stabbing her uncle in an alcohol fueled argument. Read Article Here Read PDF Here Source: Mary Annette Pember. “A Fearless Fight Against Historical Trauma, The […]
Many Native Americans who participated in a university survey about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) say traditional healing therapies are more effective for them than conventional therapies offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Among the therapies they cite: Sweat lodge ceremonies, purification lodge ceremonies, spiritual ceremonies involving cultural songs and, among horse cultures, equine […]
A narrative explaining a family’s history with the St. Mary’s school on the Bad River Reservation and how this left a lasting intergenerational impact. The Adverse Childhood Experience Study (ACES) is also cited. Read Article Here Read PDF Here Source: Mary Annette Pember. “We Have To Know It To Heal It: Defining And Dealing […]
19 staff members and clients met in a Native American healing lodge and discussed their therapeutic approach to healing from historical trauma. The healing process was composed of 4 components: 1) Counselors recognized the pain carried by their clients resulted in dysfunction which (for some) led to substance abuse. 2) Clients acknowledged their pain and the manifestations […]
Several Christian denominations are repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery, a document claiming Christian Europeans have a claim to Indigenous land. This document claims Euro-Christians are morally and racially superior to Indigenous people who are seen as unfit to own their historical land. The World Council of Churches (WCC) calls on members to denounce the Doctrine […]
