Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2017
Abstract
In early 2016, two Canadian Indigenous communities, Attawapiskat and Cross Lake, reported a state of emergency as suicide rates skyrocketed. These occurrences, while tragic, have opened a nuanced conversation regarding Indigenous mental health and the insidious nature of intergenerational trauma – trauma that was inflicted on Indigenous communities by the Canadian settler colonial state through the residential school system. This paper examines both the historical roots of such trauma, while considering practices of resurgence that may help these communities begin to heal in a way that is in accordance with the culture and community that they are situated within. Ultimately, this essay advocates for enabling Indigenous communities to reconnect to their own traditions through resurgent practices, practices that may facilitate community strengthening and healing.