A Brief History
The experience of many Aboriginal people in Canada due to colonization and forced attendance at residential schools encompasses all types of developmental trauma (Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators, 2008).
Residential Schools:
The term “Aboriginal” refers to First Nations, Inuit and Métis, regardless of where they live in Canada. The Indian Act of 1876 and its amendments were put in place to control every facet of life on reserves. Removal of native children from their parents and communities was enacted to force Aboriginal children to adapt to European values and Christian belief systems (Fast & Collin-Vézina, 2010). Thus, residential schooling became mandatory wherever it was available, and school officials removed children from their homes if they did not come willingly.
Impacts
The abuses that occurred in residential schools were numerous and included physical abuse, neglect, torture, and sexual abuse by staff members. The impacts of these experiences are intergenerational (passed on from generation to generation). They stripped them of their native languages and culture. This led to alienation, shame and anger that were passed down to their children and grandchildren. When children experience abuse, neglect and stress in their home environments, they are unable to develop appropriate coping skills or strategies to deal with future life stressors. In some communities, multiple families lack the knowledge and skills to support their children’s emotional and psychological well-being.
Today, almost 50% of off-reserve Aboriginal children under the age of six live in low-income families, compared to 18% of non-Aboriginal children and 57% of Aboriginal children living in large urban centres live in low-income families (Statistics Canada, 2008).
Intergenerational trauma refers to the ways in which trauma experienced in one generation affects the health and well being of descendants of future generations (Sangalang & Vang, 2017). Each generation of that family continues to experience trauma in some form. The source of the trauma can usually be linked back to a devastating event, and the trauma becomes unique to each subsequent generation. Intergenerational trauma leads to ineffective coping skills (Gaywish & Mordoch, 2018). It is directly linked to the banning of cultural practices, policies and institutions of assimilation, and loss of culture through residential schooling.
Aboriginal peoples are at an increased risk for PTSD because of stress, poverty and family violence and instability related to intergenerational trauma (Bellamy & Hardy, 2015). Colonialism is responsible for much of the trauma experienced by Indigenous people all over the world, and its effects continue to this day (Linklater, 2014; Haskell & Randell, 2009).
Summary
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Residential Schools operated 1892 - 1969
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The intent was to “separate the children from their families and culture to re-socialize them to accept and practice European culture and value system.
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Systemic Trauma and racism underline every aspect of an Indigenous person’s life.
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Indian Act (1876), which still exists to this day, provides a legal framework to control Indigenous life and culture.
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Indigenous students are impacted by colonization, residential schools, the child welfare system and discrimination.
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Indigenous students historically encountered negative experiences in the education system, which have negatively impacted their health and wellness.
These realities have caused intergenerational Trauma and consequences such as loss of culture and language, mental health problems, problematic substance misuse, suicide and violence.
References
Bellamy, S., & Hardy, C. (2015). Post-traumatic stress disorder in Aboriginal people in Canada: Review of risk factors, the current state of knowledge, and future directions. Prince George, BC: National Collaboration Center for Aboriginal Health.
Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators | 1pdf.net. (2008). https://1pdf.net/child-trauma-toolkit-for- educators_58d23d92f6065d6534add1ab
Fast, E., & Collin-Vézina, D. (2010). Historical Trauma, Race-based Trauma and Resilience of Indigenous Peoples: A
Literature Review. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 5(1), 126–136. DOI: 10.7202/1069069ar
Gaywish, R. and Mordoch, E. (2018) Situating Intergenerational Trauma in the Educational Journey. In Education, 24, 3- 23.
Intergenerational Trauma: Residential Schools. (2020). Retrieved, from, https://youtu.be/IWeH_SDhEYU
Linklater, R. (2014). Decolonising trauma work: Indigenous practitioners share stories and strategies.
Toronto, ON.: Fernwood Books Ltd
Sangalang, C., & Vang, C. (2017). Intergenerational Trauma in Refugee Families: A Systematic Review. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 19(3), 745–754. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0499-7
Statistics Canada. 2008b. Census Data Products: Aboriginal Identity, Age Groups, Area of Residence, Sex and Selected
Demographic, Cultural, Labour Force, Educational and Income Characteristics, for the Total Population of Canada,
Provinces and Territories, 2006 Census. Catalogue number: 97-564-XWE2006002.