Kin 306 - Emotional Wellness

children and wellness

- viewed as gifts from the Creator and regarded as very close to the Creator (especially infants)
- prior to potlatch banning and residential school system, Indigenous Peoples were observed to raise children with great care and respect
- Indigenous philosophies and approaches to childrearing centred on the education and empowerment of children
- children often openly taken into different families and community members "share" in raising, loving, and caring for them
- sense of community belonging is strong
- subsequently leads to a strong sense of security, identity, and emotional wellbeing

realities of children today

- many Indigenous families experience a different social and economic reality in comparison to non-Indigenous families in Canada
- difficult to compare/contrast the history of child rearing with today due to stark reality of systems which have countered Indigenous Peoples' wellness, family wellness, and community wellness
- "children who lack a sense of power over their own behaviour and environment are developmental causalities whose disorders are variously labeled as learned helplessness, absence of internal locus of control, and lack of intrinsic motivation"
- high quality early childhood development programming has the potential to be a catalyst for change

Indigenous children

- more likely to live in poverty
- more likely to experience food insecurity
- at risk for negative outcomes later in life such as physical health risks, incompletion of high school, lower chances for post-secondary, lower income, increased risk of incarceration, family breakdown

jordan's principle

- Jordan River Anderson was a young boy from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba born in 1999 with multiple disabilities. He spent two years in a hospital because federal and provincial governments could not agree on who would pay for his at-home care
- The reason being: federal and provincial/territorial governments cannot agree on which government should pay for services to First Nations children on reserves, so they typically do not provide the service until they can sort out the payment issue
- Unfortunately, Jordan died at the age of 5 before he could experience living in a loving home.

January 26 2016

When did the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal find the Canadian federal government being racially discriminating against First Nations children by failing to implement Jordan's Principle properly

april 2016

When did the CHRT issue its first non-compliance order against the federal government?

15

How many additional orders has the tribunal issued for many non-compliance orders that repeatedly mandate the federal government to immediately put Jordan's principle into action

october 2021

When did the federal government agree to work with all parties to research resolution?

internalization of messages

- can lead to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
- impact self-worth and well-being
- without a sense of self-worth, a young person is vulnerable to a host of social, psychological, and learning challenges

the circle of courage

- early childhood development programs have the potential to create change in providing children with a place of belonging, opportunities to gain mastery over self, spaces to learn about and experience opportunities to grow in independence and generosity
- model of positive youth development based on four universal growth needs of all children: belonging, mastery, independence, generosity
- integrates Indigenous philosophies of childrearing and contemporary resilience research

independence (circle of courage)

- fostered opportunities to grow in responsibility and autonomy
- "i am in charge of my life"
- Indigenous knowledge places high value on the individual's freedom to make independent judgements, in learning how to self-manage, and in making decision
- guiding individuals through this process is grounded in the belief in respect for the right of everyone to control their own destiny
- modelled and taught through positive expectations
- teaching independence fosters discipline and helps individuals accept responsibility for failure

mastery (circle of courage)

- requires opportunities to creatively solve problems and meet goals for achievement
- "i creatively respond to problems"
- humans have an innate drive to be competent
- related to concepts of achievement, motivation, and self-actualization
- developing intellectual (cognitive), physical, social, emotional, and spiritual competence help children learn their place with self and in groups while also learning about responsibility

generosity (circle of courage)

- shown through opportunities to role model concern in acts of kindness and altruism
- "I consider others' needs"
- Indigenous teachings about giving away one's most cherished possession fostered courage, strength, and resilience in a child
- gift-giving, whether food to elders or belongings to the needy, taught about the collective needs of everyone
- core values of caring, sharing, community responsibility teaching intrinsic worth
- helping others creates proof of own worthiness

belonging (circle of courage)

- developed through opportunities to build trusting bonds in relationships
- "I am important to someone"
- treating others as kin forges powerful social bonds that draw all into relationships of respect
- Children who are provided a world of cross-generational relationships with grandparents, stories, and legends about who they are and who have opportunities to connect with community leaders creates a strong sense of belonging
- belonging to a community continues to be one of the most significant factors in many Indigenous Peoples' identity formation

seven generation principle

- states that the decisions we make today should be sustainable seven generations into the future and should be informed by thinking about and considering the seven generations before us
- many Indigenous leaders continue the practice of looking forward and looking back when decision making which can conflict with Euro-Canadian approaches to decision-making

fostering potential

- research confirms that high-quality early childhood programs improve life chances for vulnerable children with increased high school graduation rates, fewer criminal arrests, reduced instances of substance abuse, and higher incomes for their cohorts who may not have participated in a quality early childhood program

relationships

- are integral to Indigenous Peoples' emotional well-being
- relationship-oriented
- about honouring the place of humans along with the world (community, animal, plant, land, ancestors, unseen/cosmos)
- everything in the universe is part of a greater whole; everything is connected in some way (centrality)

human relationships

- are vital networks for emotional wellbeing
- elder-youth
- grandparent-grandchild
- parent-child
- children-children
- aunts and uncles-children
- community members-children

connectedness to land

- land is not merely something to own, buy, sell, profit from, or live on
- for many Indigenous peoples, the relationship with the land is deep
- connections to the land foster healthy social relationships

relationship with land

- land plays a health-supporting role where Indigenous peoples long viewed themselves as inseparable from the land
- land is loved, needed, and cared for; and the land loves, needs, and cares for her people
- land is family, culture, identity; Land is self
- spiritual connection with the land

mother earth

- term used by numerous Indigenous communities
- speaks to the lens through which they look at the natural world
- the responsibility help toward being carers of the land in symbiotic
- Indigenous Peoples benefit from living a life closely tied to land while also maintaining care for land through practices such as controlled burning and harvesting

ceremonies

- connected with the land and work in tandem with natural cycles of the earth
- eg. full moon ceremonies and sun dances

environmental dispossession

- tourism
- wind turbines
- steel industry
- mining
- deforestation
- contribute to severe concern among many Indigenous groups
- disconnect from any relationship (place, space, person) brings an inevitable array of emotions (eg. anger, grief, loss)

storytelling

- Indigenous communities have an extensive history with storytelling (oral history)
- stories are central to community functioning and relationships, as well as how one understands their place within the world
- Indigenous Peoples understand the power of stories and recognize the power of the transmittance of stories
- listeners come to their own decisions and conclusions
- demonstrates there are many ways of looking at problems and solutions

stories

- powerful pedagogical tools that help learners understand history and lived experiences

personal stories

- observations, accounts, experiences
- evolve over time and are influenced by needs and relevancy

teaching stories

- creation stores, myths, legends
- often spiritual, remain unchanged over time, are sacred, and passed down from generation to generation
- often instructing how to live and behave, moral guide, roles, responsibilities

storytelling for wellness

- we each share capacity to tell stories (and listen to stories) that can transform and heal
- stories hold power
- elicit strong emotions, can make us cry, laugh, experience, anger, empathy, etc.
- storytelling transmits essential knowledge for survival and promoting happy, healthy communities and for educating on how to live and engage with the world

the plant world

- the food that Indigenous peoples depended on (and continue to depend on) for life is also their medicine, clothing, and art (and formerly shelter)
- over generations, Indigenous Peoples become intimately familiar with life cycles of the plant world, including their healing properties and abilities for relieving/healing
- individuals learned more than just ecological ways of using food, they learned important lessons about their dependence on, and connection with the plant world
- significance of food in ceremonies reflects sacred role in life

the animal world

- animals were, whether hunted or domesticated, from crawling (insects) or flying, recognized as necessary for the biosphere and survival of all things
- traditionally, knowledge of animals was important to every aspect of everyday living and therefore learning about animals was a lifelong learning process
- significance of animal world: Turtle Island

Turtle Island

- creation stories depict the importance of valuing one's relationship with the animal world as animals represented, in a way, Mother Earth

the spirit world

- the spiritual side embraces there are "others" we cannot see but feel (ancestors)
- spirits are believed to have healing abilities
- connecting with the spiritual world can help take away emotional and mental pain or hurt
- spirit/traditional names often tell a comprehensive story or highlight qualities of character (names are intimately connected with Indigenous identity)

type 1 trauma

- single episode event
- eg. accidents, natural disasters, assaults, death of loved ones, separate traumatic experiences
- may suddenly occur
- weakens and destabilizes the individual for a period of time
- "easiest" to deal with; recovery is possible
- if left untreated, can spread over periods of time

type 2 traums

- repetitive, ongoing that are prolonged (lasts longer than a few moments or a few hours)
- i.e. hostage experiences, kidnapping, chronic or severe neglect in childhood, war-related experiences
- produces the fragmentation or shattering of the person into pieces
- manifestations may include: physical illness (body symptoms), emotional dysregulation (reactive, inability to control emotions), mental disorders (skewed/disordered thinking and beliefs), social
- requires a lot of outside support

type 3 trauma

- begin historically with first contact and extends to include different time periods (also known as intergenerational trauma)
- i.e. residential schools, disproportionate incarceration, forced or coerced sterilization, combined with traumas from generations before
- harms include: emotional suppression, a sense of learned helplessness, a phenomenon of silence, attractions to drugs and alcohol, conditions for complex PTSD, socio-cultural shame

intergenerational trauma

- 1st generation: directly affected (survivors)
- 2nd generation: survivors, children, families
- 3rd generation: survivors, children, children's children community
- 4th generation: families, community, Nation, larger society, country
- colonization has left profound wounds on individuals, families, and communities
- both Indigenous peoples and mental health experts recognize the intergenerational effects and grief upon individuals, families and communities

blood memory

- in Indigenous thought, the occurrence of an experience of those that have gone before us being embedded in one's physical and psychological being; the collection of memories one is born with

emotional healing from trauma

- cultural wounds impact not only the individual, but the collective community
- shared hurts require strategies that respond to the whole person and community that include restoration and a return to balance
- cultural woulds need culture as medicine

Indigenist stress-coping model

- situates Indigenous Peoples' health within the larger context of colonization
- identifies links between historical trauma, discrimination, personal life experiences, with health risks
- potential cultural buffers: cultural identity, attitudes, and enculturation
- increased cultural connectedness linked to increased healthy behaviours, improved mental health, decreased unhealthy behaviours
- environmental contexts and person factors intervene between the stressor and potential outcomes

culture continuity

- culture as something that is enduring or continuously linked through processes of historical transformation with an identifiable past of tradition
- "being who we are"
- some indicators include language preservation, restoring women to leadership roles, self-governance, restoring relationships with traditional lands

cultural connectedness scale

- the degree to which an individual is integrated with their culture
- originally developed for First Nations youth
- identifies three interrelated components as resiliency mechanisms: identity, traditions, and spirituality

cultural continuity

- healing from trauma is complex
- healing through this has historically included ceremony; connecting to the animal, plant, and spirit world; craft making; dancing; land relatedness; language; laughter; painting; singing; storytelling; and, the visual arts
- outcomes include:
- hope
- sense of ownership/autonomy
- healthy lifestyles
- active individuals
- community engagement
- lower suicide rates

concept of sharing

- viewed as vital to emotional wellness
- allows one to become/remain mindful of where they are at
- allows others to understand where one is at
- creates space for healthy dialogue
- natural way of developing human relationships
- creating spaces for one another to share emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically

western perspective (sharing)

- often about distributing, diving or splitting up something and allotting to others for purpose of having something left for the self

Indigenous perspective (sharing)

- often about "gifting" others, with the intent to celebrate all that has been given to the sharer

sharing circles

- common in many Indigenous communities
- provide opportunities to sit together and share views in a meaningful, respectful, and orderly way
- encourages interconnectedness, dialogue, and co-creation of knowledge

sharing circles (common structure)

- individuals congregate in a circle (symbolic of balance)
- individuals invited one at a time to respond to a question/topic
- only one person speaks at a time, with that person's right indicated by a talking/sharing stick/stone
- discussion ends when every individual believes there is nothing more to be added and talking has ceased
- close the circle by shaking hands