Indigenous Suicide and Colonization: The Legacy of Violence and the Necessity of Self-Determination
Contemporary indigenous first nations psychologists have developed an alternative frame for viewing suicide that not only shifts the focus from individual-level to group-level explanations, but challenges discourses that position group-level influences as "risk factors" that can be easily...
Main Authors: | , |
---|---|
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
University of Bielefeld
2010
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doaj.org/article/a9324f42030a4ddd9d91bc4cdb8377e3 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a9324f42030a4ddd9d91bc4cdb8377e3 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a9324f42030a4ddd9d91bc4cdb8377e3 2023-05-15T16:16:03+02:00 Indigenous Suicide and Colonization: The Legacy of Violence and the Necessity of Self-Determination Keri Lawson-Te Aho James H. Liu 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doaj.org/article/a9324f42030a4ddd9d91bc4cdb8377e3 EN eng University of Bielefeld http://www.ijcv.org/index.php/ijcv/article/view/65 https://doaj.org/toc/1864-1385 1864-1385 https://doaj.org/article/a9324f42030a4ddd9d91bc4cdb8377e3 International Journal of Conflict and Violence, Vol 4, Iss 1, Pp 124-133 (2010) indigenous self-determination colonization suicide cultural identity Political science (General) JA1-92 Social Sciences H article 2010 ftdoajarticles 2022-12-31T02:55:07Z Contemporary indigenous first nations psychologists have developed an alternative frame for viewing suicide that not only shifts the focus from individual-level to group-level explanations, but challenges discourses that position group-level influences as "risk factors" that can be easily subsumed within standard repertoires for suicide prevention. First nations psychologists show the violent legacy of colonization has left a dark shadow on the contemporary lives of young people, so that around the world, suicide rates for indigenous peoples are much higher than for non-indigenous peoples in the same country. These arguments, which rely on historical accounts, cannot be neatly demonstrated using empirical data, but form an important part of a self-determination movement among indigenous peoples, directly challenging unequal power relations in society as a means to seek redress for particular issues of inequity like rates of youth suicide. We present a theoretical case study and analysis of contemporary suicide among Maori youth in New Zealand. In a traditional Maori conceptualization, individual well-being is sourced and tied to the well-being of the collective cultural identity. Therefore, individual pain is inseparable from collective pain and the role of the collective becomes that of carrying individuals who are suffering. The state of kahupo or spiritual blindness (Kruger, Pitman, et al. 2004) is characterized by a loss of hope, meaning, and purpose and an enduring sense of despair. It bears the symptoms of chronic dissociation or separation of the physical from the spiritual and vice versa. We describe community empowerment practices and social policy environments that offer pathways forward from colonization towards tino rangatiratanga, or indigenous self-determination, noting significant obstacles along the way. Article in Journal/Newspaper First Nations Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles New Zealand |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
indigenous self-determination colonization suicide cultural identity Political science (General) JA1-92 Social Sciences H |
spellingShingle |
indigenous self-determination colonization suicide cultural identity Political science (General) JA1-92 Social Sciences H Keri Lawson-Te Aho James H. Liu Indigenous Suicide and Colonization: The Legacy of Violence and the Necessity of Self-Determination |
topic_facet |
indigenous self-determination colonization suicide cultural identity Political science (General) JA1-92 Social Sciences H |
description |
Contemporary indigenous first nations psychologists have developed an alternative frame for viewing suicide that not only shifts the focus from individual-level to group-level explanations, but challenges discourses that position group-level influences as "risk factors" that can be easily subsumed within standard repertoires for suicide prevention. First nations psychologists show the violent legacy of colonization has left a dark shadow on the contemporary lives of young people, so that around the world, suicide rates for indigenous peoples are much higher than for non-indigenous peoples in the same country. These arguments, which rely on historical accounts, cannot be neatly demonstrated using empirical data, but form an important part of a self-determination movement among indigenous peoples, directly challenging unequal power relations in society as a means to seek redress for particular issues of inequity like rates of youth suicide. We present a theoretical case study and analysis of contemporary suicide among Maori youth in New Zealand. In a traditional Maori conceptualization, individual well-being is sourced and tied to the well-being of the collective cultural identity. Therefore, individual pain is inseparable from collective pain and the role of the collective becomes that of carrying individuals who are suffering. The state of kahupo or spiritual blindness (Kruger, Pitman, et al. 2004) is characterized by a loss of hope, meaning, and purpose and an enduring sense of despair. It bears the symptoms of chronic dissociation or separation of the physical from the spiritual and vice versa. We describe community empowerment practices and social policy environments that offer pathways forward from colonization towards tino rangatiratanga, or indigenous self-determination, noting significant obstacles along the way. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Keri Lawson-Te Aho James H. Liu |
author_facet |
Keri Lawson-Te Aho James H. Liu |
author_sort |
Keri Lawson-Te Aho |
title |
Indigenous Suicide and Colonization: The Legacy of Violence and the Necessity of Self-Determination |
title_short |
Indigenous Suicide and Colonization: The Legacy of Violence and the Necessity of Self-Determination |
title_full |
Indigenous Suicide and Colonization: The Legacy of Violence and the Necessity of Self-Determination |
title_fullStr |
Indigenous Suicide and Colonization: The Legacy of Violence and the Necessity of Self-Determination |
title_full_unstemmed |
Indigenous Suicide and Colonization: The Legacy of Violence and the Necessity of Self-Determination |
title_sort |
indigenous suicide and colonization: the legacy of violence and the necessity of self-determination |
publisher |
University of Bielefeld |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
https://doaj.org/article/a9324f42030a4ddd9d91bc4cdb8377e3 |
geographic |
New Zealand |
geographic_facet |
New Zealand |
genre |
First Nations |
genre_facet |
First Nations |
op_source |
International Journal of Conflict and Violence, Vol 4, Iss 1, Pp 124-133 (2010) |
op_relation |
http://www.ijcv.org/index.php/ijcv/article/view/65 https://doaj.org/toc/1864-1385 1864-1385 https://doaj.org/article/a9324f42030a4ddd9d91bc4cdb8377e3 |
_version_ |
1766001909039104000 |