Ethnostress: The Disruption of the Aboriginal Spirit A SMARTRISK Learning Series Presentation Novemb

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Ethnostress The Disruption of the Aboriginal
Spirit A SMARTRISK Learning Series Presentation
November 27, 2007Prepared by Diane Hill -
Aboriginal Education Consultant - First Nations
Technical Institute
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Ethnostress The Disruption of the Aboriginal
Spirit

• Aboriginal Ethnicity Its Associated Stress
• Stemming From The Disruption Of The Cultural
  Beliefs That Foster A Positive Native Identity
• Ethnostress Is The Result Of Oppressive
  Conditions Forced Upon A People In Their Own
  Environment

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The Residential School Era
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Report of Royal Commission On Aboriginal Peoples,
1996

• The Constitution Act of 1867 Indians And
  Lands Reserved For Indians
• Canadian Government Adopted A Policy Of
  Assimilation
• To move all Aboriginal Peoples from Their
  Helpless Savage State To One of Self-Reliant
  Civilization

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It civilizing required a concerted attack on
the ontology, on the basic cultural patterning of
the children and on their world view. They had
to be taught to see and understand the world as a
European place within which only European values
and beliefs had meaning thus, the wisdom of
their cultures would seem to them only savage
superstition. A wedge had to be driven not only
physically between parent and child, but also
culturally and spiritually. (p. 341)
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Oppression Creates Oppressive Behaviour Patterns

• Human Beings remember what they did to survive
  their pain.
• A similar stressful or painful experience will
  cause the memory or internal tape recording to go
  off.
• Human beings then react to new situations with
  old behaviour.

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Ethnostress As The Underlying Problem/Issue

• Disruption in the transmission of Aboriginal
  Cultural philosophy due to impact of Residential
  School
• Internalization of oppressive messages about
  being a Native person has impaired the
  psychological social development of Aboriginal
  people

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The Behaviours of Ethnostress

• Contradiction in Values/Beliefs
• Frozen Needs
• Internalized Stereotypes
• Loss of Faith Belief in Ones Culture
• Internal Factionalism

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The Behaviours of Ethnostress

• The Narrowing of Culture
• Culture Under Glass
• Adoption of Survivalist Behaviours

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The Aboriginal Community Context

• Requires Healing and A Move towards Whole Person
  Development through the teaching/re-learning of
  Aboriginal cultural philosophy that can be used
  to help Native adult learners transform their
  perception of themselves, others and the world
  more broadly.

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An Aboriginal Approach to Whole Person
Development
BODY
SPIRIT
MIND
EMOTION
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An Aboriginal Approach to Whole Person
Development
PHYSICAL
INTUITIVE
MENTAL
EMOTIONAL RELATIONAL
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An Aboriginal Approach to Whole Person
Development
PRESERVATION
AWARENESS
BUILDING
STUGGLE
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An Aboriginal Approach to Whole Person
Development
Acting on it DOING
Seeing it VISIONING
Knowing it UNDERSTANDING
Relating to it FEELING
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Holistic Healing Requires A Decolonizing
Methodology

• The dismantling of these old behaviours or
  distress patterns in order to break the hold
  that they have on a persons thinking, creativity
  and ability to sustain healthy and functional
  relationships with ones self and others.
• A reclaiming and relearning of ones Aboriginal
  cultural philosophy, traditions and customs to
  promote a positive Native identity.

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Creating Partnerships and Services for Aboriginal
People Often Means The Promotion of Aboriginal
Cultural Beliefs and Practices

• Aboriginal Approach to Holistic Healing Health
  Promotion Requires a learning/teaching
  methodology or a service delivery method or a
  program design that emphasizes whole person
  development for the purposes of personal and
  social transformation.

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Whole Person Development to Combat the
Ethnostress

• Is Accomplished by Aboriginal People Via
• Sweat Lodge Ceremonies
• Fasting Rites
• Personal Medicine Societies
• Healing Circles
• Storytelling For the Purpose of Reviewing Life
  Experiences and their Impact on the Person/People
  

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Niawen Kowa!

• Great Thanks!