At the center of Indigenous discourse lies the worrisome subject of suicide. Deeply embedded in Native culture, suicide has come to represent a reminder of a cruel past tainted by violent colonialism. Via inhumane assimilation practices colonialists both directly and indirectly scarred and continue to scar members of the Indigenous community. Trough post traumatic stress mechanism many trauma survivors have and continue to pass their traumatic experiences to subsequent generations. Unintentionally, they sentence their descendants to live with the wounds colonialism left on them. Through space and time the origin of such scars becomes a blur, but the pain, the mourning, the confusion resides. Accordingly, colonialism sentiment is present in the lives of contemporary Native generations. As far as Indigenous family dynamics, particularly the transmitter and receiver relationship between mother and daughter, intergenerational transmission of trauma via substance abuse, domestic violence, and identity implications can potentially result in suicide. First off, substance abuse can facilitate the transmission of trauma from mother to daughter. Whether the mother drinks throughout her pregnancy, drinks in the presence of her daughter, or neglects her child due to a substance problem, the mother partakes in the passing down of trauma in a damaging way. In “Intergenerational Trauma: Convergence of Multiple Processes among First Nations peoples in Canada” Amy Bombay et al. claim,
Family violence in Indigenous communities is linked with the Domestic violence policy (Parliament of Australia, 2011). The Current definition used by the Australia government to guide domestic violence policies. Is that domestic violence “refers to acts of violence that occur between people who have, or have had, an intimate relationship” (Chung & Wendt, 2015, p.202). In addition the policy states that violence in a family relationship to be between two people related by blood or marriage. (Department of communities Child Safety and Disability Services, 2012). Thus family violence must have a separate policy to be able to address the accurate impacts of the problem in Indigenous Communities (Larsen & Peterson, 2010).
Research indicates that colonial policies related to residential schools, reserve communities, loss of traditional lands, and erosion of language and cultural traditions that lead to cultural continuity have created a loss of cohesion and identity in Indigenous communities which have impacted family health behaviors (MacNeil 6). Although this may
I am writing you today as a young woman concerning the lack of attention towards the violence against women in retrospect to the Native American population. The fear of being a victim of assault as a young women is prominent within the society in which we live today. However, there is some relief in the fact that there are resources available at my disposal if I was to experience assault. Yet, there is a large portion of women that do not have that reassurance, and the likelihood of them experiencing assault is even greater than my own. This portion of the women population is Native American women. I will admit that the severity of the issue in concerns with the native population is something that I just recently became aware of. et I have
The film Highway of Tears brought to light many issues faced by Indigenous persons however, its main focus was the missing and murdered women found along Highway 16 in Northern British Columbia. Majority of the women who are missing as well as those who were murdered are Indigenous women. This film displayed that although there are ways to prevent and possibly end the violence against Aboriginal women, no action was being taken by police or other government agents to do so. It was discussed how this as well as other wrongs done to Indigenous persons and communities, is a result of past and present colonialism.
Historical trauma is a concept that refers to the wounding of generations due to traumatic experiences such as boarding schools, forced displacement, and genocide. Responses to this distress manifest in a number of social issues. For example, alcoholism and substance abuse could be recognized as attempts to numb unresolved grief. Other manifestations of emotional responses to this trauma include abuse, depression, domestic violence, and suicide. A framework for understanding the effects of historical trauma on communities is provided by Evans-Campbell (2008) in her article, “Historical Trauma in American Indian and Native American Communities”. These three levels include individual-level impacts, family-level impacts, and community-level impacts.
In the article “Domestic violence against indigenous women is everybody’s problem” domestic violence is depicted as a serious social problem that involves “unspeakable acts of violence” that leaves victims experiencing fear and despair (Taylor 2014). More specifically, the social construction of domestic violence will be discussed with an emphasis on Aboriginal women and a typology of intimate partner violence. The social construction of domestic violence has serious implications for victims of domestic abuse because there is a failure to address the processes that perpetuate the violence. Instead, domestic violence is addressed through the illusion of social support. What is evident is that domestic violence is a social problem that requires comprehensive services, particularly for indigenous women, to address the complexity of the interaction between the individual’s social location and the causes that lead to the violence.
The United States has not ever recognized the role in the chronological and ongoing psychological trauma of Native Americans; consequently, this absence of confirmation subsidizes a common sense of unsettled mourning and loss (Evans-Campbell et al, 2002). The overwhelming grief and associated trauma-related reactions are exacerbated as ongoing discrimination impacts on the inability to mourn the loss of one's land and place. The unanswered mourning and trauma-correlated responses ae passed on from one generation to the next through socially impaired family handling forms, which includes drug abuse (Evans-Campbell et al, 2002). Manson and associates reviewed the results of 3 research projects studying posttraumatic stress disorder among adolescents
In Leanne Simpson’s short story “it takes an ocean not to break,” (“Islands of Decolonial Love” 2015), the author, through the continuing change of tone, paints a portrait of the depths of trauma that is persistent in indigenous society and one of its central issues, suicide. The “therapy-lady” is portrayed as the “other” when put into contact with Indigenous problems and her words come off as almost foreign to the speaker. She can be seen as an allegorical character that represents “white” ideology, or even our current government as a whole, who tries to help the Indigenous people but ultimately fails, not only due to lack of caring but in reality a lack of understanding.
Thomas King’s The Inconvenient Indian tells the story of Indigenous people in Canada and the United States, it challenges the narrative on how Indigenous history is taught and explains why Indigenous people continue to feel frustrated. King’s seeks to educate the reader as he provides a detailed accounts of the horrific massacres Indigenous people endured, yet he simultaneously inserts humorous moments which balances out the depressing content and enhances his story. The books highlights the neglect and assimilation that Indigenous were subjected to and how their survival was seen as an inconvenience to western culture. King directs his message at a Euro-centric audience to offer an accurate explanation of Indigenous culture and
38). Thus, in addition to the pain of indigenous dispossession from their land and family, the felt stigma from racism further catalyses emotional disorders in the Indigenous population. As historically alcohol and tobacco were exchange currency for sex and labour, its frequent consumption and soothing effect became a cure for Indigenous pain resulting in 52% Indigenous population smoking tobacco and consuming alcohol that is harmful to their health at twice the percentage of the non-Indigenous population (AIHW, 2007, p. 3). Since tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption are major risk factors to infant mortality, the pertinent negative effects of marginalisation as a product of colonialism is highlighted.
As a result, illnesses such as tuberculosis, small pox, and measles went uncured which led to the death of many Indigenous students (The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 2012). This was illustrated in Wenjack where it is mentioned how Chanie had developed a lung infection, tuberculosis, which he had failed to receive treatment for. It is noted by Boyden (2016) that “tuberculosis and similar diseases had taken thousands of Indian children’s lives” (p. 11). The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2012) state how the high mortality rates of students caused devastation within families hoping their children would return home. As a result, they spent their lives grieving never knowing how their child died or where their body was placed. Thus, it is no surprise that the statistics demonstrate that the Aboriginal population has higher rates of premature death (Pederson et al., date). Unfortunately, neglect in Aboriginal’s health care still continues to occur to this day. In particular, Pederson et al. (date) mentions how poor economic and social conditions in the Indigenous community exist which contribute to these individuals viewing their health status as low. Additionally, the neglect in this population has resulted in a reduction in their social determinants of health. For instance, Pederson et al. (date) recognize how physical neglect has resulted in “poverty, poor housing and substance abuse” (p. 297). As a result of being neglected, the Aboriginal population is continuing to suffer which further leads to consequences in their health. Thus, Wenjack enables the reader to acknowledge how neglect continues to play a role in harming the lives on the Aboriginal
This also ties into history and biography. The First Nation youth suicide is a public issues, which is noticed by the children’s advocate of Saskatchewan (Corey O'Soup) and Professor Chris Lalande of Victoria. The youths who commit suicide did not take their own life because of their personal troubles, but instead of the outside factors. Being bullied is a public issue has this occurs to many people all over the world. Education is one way to combat bullying. Schools and mental health support are a part of the structure, and the indigenous youth is a part of the agency. The history and biography behind indigenous communities have strong ties to drug abuse, and lack of social assistance. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux states “Legacy goes back to the historic trauma that was experienced in many of our communities, especially in the north where it hasn't necessarily been adequately dealt with"(CBC, 2016). In the podcast, a speaker from the Sask. First Nation group, notes that there is an urgent need for the government and Indigenous communities to develop a better relationship --- where politics should be kept separate. The First Nations and the government had a complicated relationship from early encounters. The government worked actively attempting to assimilate First Nations people by restricting their cultural
“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.” - Peter A. Levine, Ph.D. In Sherman Alexie’s collection of short stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, we read stories of Native American struggles for survival in an American society designed to keep Native Americans locked in the cycle of intergenerational trauma. Alexie illustrates the importance of rejecting intergenerational trauma as a method of survival, by isolating the two main causes intergenerational trauma becomes inescapable and giving examples that showcase the impact of attempting to survive the cycle. Through the interpretation of multiple sources, it becomes clear that the inescapability of intergenerational trauma is the outcome of internalized oppression and pessimism.
Each individual makes up the society as it is, and various characteristics and beliefs makes up an individual. Although, individual lives together with a variety of personal ideologies, emotions, cultures, and rituals, they all differentiate one person from the other making up one’s own identity. This identity makes up who one is inside and out, their behaviour, actions, and words comes from their own practices and values. However, the profound history of Indigenous people raises question in the present about their identities. Who are they really? Do we as the non-native people judge them from the outside or the inside? Regardless of whether the society or the government were involved in their lives, they faced discrimination in every
While discovering theories and research by sociologist Emile Durkheim, I was able to see a clear connection to how these theories could be applied to the amount of suicides to those of first nation decent. Considering citizens from first nations groups have been estimated to be eleven times more likely to commit suicide, there are underlying factors of why this may be. Durkheim’s theory states that suicide is a sociological issue and as we have seen there are many ways society could affect ones emotional state.