Aboriginal Peoples And Historic Trauma

The indigenous population has experienced trauma and till date live within the effects of such trauma. This can occur in the home or in the garden. Many talk about relaxing on their comfy recliners when the trauma starts. Or some say that they are cooking in the kitchen and there is an onset. Something as simple as the reflection in the kitchen faucet can set it off. We should acknowledge the damaging impacts of what these populations went through and recognize the healing powers of their cultural, spiritual, and traditional heritage.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission or TRC in 2015 concluded a 5-year trauma duration. The commission has documented hundreds of statements by school survivors (and their descendants) all over Canada.

There has been extensive research on the historical trauma which Aboriginals went through, in an attempt to understand how much damage these experiences caused. Aboriginals have been resilient and are making considerable strides towards healing.

For instance, stories have been told on how the by then residential school systems would forcibly remove children from their homes, and disassociate them with their religion, language, culture, and community and force them to practice the dominant society’s values.

This kind of trauma which most people experience has accumulated over time and has been passed down over generations, leaving behind a legacy of trauma.

The TRC also gathered testimonies on other traumas imposed on Aboriginal families.

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