Caleb Anacker

Some approaches to help clients connect with their inner wisdom and feelings, and culturally appropriate trauma interventions, which use activities like drumming, storytelling, ceremonies, and land-based healing. Other approaches blend therapies with Indigenous practices in compatible ways where Indigenous worldviews are centered. Finally, some approaches offer Western forms of therapy while integrating elements of Indigenous practices at the client’s level of knowledge and comfort. In all forms, Indigenous trauma counselling can help clients feel more empowered, resilient, and connected to their culture and identity.

Indigenous healing is a way of helping people feel better in their body, mind, heart and spirit. It is different for different groups of Indigenous people, because they have their own cultures and traditions. Indigenous healing is not just about medicine or doctors, but about the whole person and their relationship with nature, family, community and themselves.

Indigenous healing is based on the idea that people can heal by seeking balance inside themselves and with their relationships to all things living and nonliving, but they need to learn how to do it. Indigenous people need to be aware of themselves, control themselves, express themselves, and take care of themselves to be well. Indigenous healing also involves being connected to the land, family, community and environment as important parts of being well.

Indigenous intergenerational trauma is the term used to describe how the pain and suffering caused by historical oppression and abuse can be passed down from one generation to the next. One of the main sources of this trauma for Indigenous people in Canada is the residential school system, which was a policy of the Canadian government to separate Indigenous children from their families and communities and force them to attend schools where they were often mistreated and denied their culture and identity. Many of these children experienced physical, emotional, sexual and spiritual abuse, which had lasting effects on their mental and physical health. Some of them died or went missing at these schools. The last residential school closed in 1997, but the trauma did not end there. Many survivors of residential schools had difficulty coping with their experiences and passed on their pain, anger, fear, shame and grief to their children and grandchildren. This can affect how they relate to themselves, their families, their communities and society at large. It can also lead to problems such as substance abuse, violence, suicide, poverty, homelessness and poor health. Intergenerational trauma can also affect the cultural identity and resilience of Indigenous people, as they may lose their connection to their language, traditions, spirituality and values. However, many Indigenous people are working to heal from this trauma and reclaim their culture and dignity. They are seeking justice, truth and reconciliation for what happened at residential schools and other forms of colonial violence. They are also finding ways to support each other, share their stories, honour their ancestors and celebrate their diversity and strength.

Cree Sharing Circles are a way of learning and working together based on Cree teachings and values. They are based on the idea that everyone has something valuable to share and that listening to each other is a way of showing respect and understanding. This circle process can be used for different purposes, such as education, research, healing, decision-making or community building. Sharing Circles involve the following elements:

• Ceremony: Circles begins and ends with ceremony, such as a pipe ceremony, a smudge or a prayer. Ceremony helps to create a sacred space and invite the presence of the Creator and the ancestors. Ceremony also helps to acknowledge the intention and purpose of the circle and to express gratitude and respect for all participants and relations. The circle is formed by sitting in a circle with no barriers or distractions.
• Talking piece: A talking piece, such as a feather, a stone or a stick, is used to indicate who has the right to speak in the circle. The talking piece is passed around the circle in a clockwise direction, giving everyone an equal opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings. The person holding the talking piece speaks from their heart, while others listen with their ears and hearts. The person holding the talking piece can also ask questions or seek guidance from others in the circle.
• Respect: Respect is a key value in circles. Respect means honoring the diversity and uniqueness of each person in the circle and recognizing their gifts and contributions. Respect also means being honest, humble, compassionate and accountable in one’s words and actions. Respect also means keeping what is shared in the circle confidential, unless permission is given to share it with others.
• Relationship: Relationship is another key value in sharing circles. Relationship means acknowledging the interconnectedness and interdependence of all living beings and all aspects of creation. Relationship also means building trust, understanding and harmony among the participants in the circle and with their families, communities and environment. Relationship also means supporting each other’s growth, healing and well-being.