Reclaiming Land, Identity and Mental Wellness in Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Territory
Indigenous peoples globally are pursuing diverse strategies to foster mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness by reclaiming and restoring their relationships to land. For Anishinaabe communities, the land is the source of local knowledge systems that sustain identities and foster mino-bimaadiziwin...
Published in: | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127285 |
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ftmdpi:oai:mdpi.com:/1660-4601/19/12/7285/ 2023-08-20T03:59:46+02:00 Reclaiming Land, Identity and Mental Wellness in Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Territory Elana Nightingale Chantelle Richmond agris 2022-06-14 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127285 EN eng Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute Mental Health https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127285 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; Volume 19; Issue 12; Pages: 7285 indigenous wellness indigenous mental health environmental repossession indigenous identity Anishinaabe connection to land community-based research Text 2022 ftmdpi https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127285 2023-08-01T05:22:16Z Indigenous peoples globally are pursuing diverse strategies to foster mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness by reclaiming and restoring their relationships to land. For Anishinaabe communities, the land is the source of local knowledge systems that sustain identities and foster mino-bimaadiziwin, that is, living in a good and healthy way. In July 2019, the community of Biigtigong Nishnaabeg in Ontario, Canada hosted a week-long land camp to reclaim Mountain Lake and reconnect Elders, youth and band staff to the land, history, and relationships of this place. Framed theoretically by environmental repossession, we explore the perceptions of 15 participating community members and examine local and intergenerational meanings of the camp for mental wellness. The findings show that the Mountain Lake camp strengthened social relationships, supported the sharing and practice of Anishinaabe knowledge, and fostered community pride in ways that reinforced the community’s Anishinaabe identity. By exploring the links between land reclamation, identity, and community empowerment, we suggest environmental repossession as a useful concept for understanding how land reconnection and self-determination can support Indigenous mental wellness. Text anishina* MDPI Open Access Publishing Canada International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19 12 7285 |
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MDPI Open Access Publishing |
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ftmdpi |
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English |
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indigenous wellness indigenous mental health environmental repossession indigenous identity Anishinaabe connection to land community-based research |
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indigenous wellness indigenous mental health environmental repossession indigenous identity Anishinaabe connection to land community-based research Elana Nightingale Chantelle Richmond Reclaiming Land, Identity and Mental Wellness in Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Territory |
topic_facet |
indigenous wellness indigenous mental health environmental repossession indigenous identity Anishinaabe connection to land community-based research |
description |
Indigenous peoples globally are pursuing diverse strategies to foster mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness by reclaiming and restoring their relationships to land. For Anishinaabe communities, the land is the source of local knowledge systems that sustain identities and foster mino-bimaadiziwin, that is, living in a good and healthy way. In July 2019, the community of Biigtigong Nishnaabeg in Ontario, Canada hosted a week-long land camp to reclaim Mountain Lake and reconnect Elders, youth and band staff to the land, history, and relationships of this place. Framed theoretically by environmental repossession, we explore the perceptions of 15 participating community members and examine local and intergenerational meanings of the camp for mental wellness. The findings show that the Mountain Lake camp strengthened social relationships, supported the sharing and practice of Anishinaabe knowledge, and fostered community pride in ways that reinforced the community’s Anishinaabe identity. By exploring the links between land reclamation, identity, and community empowerment, we suggest environmental repossession as a useful concept for understanding how land reconnection and self-determination can support Indigenous mental wellness. |
format |
Text |
author |
Elana Nightingale Chantelle Richmond |
author_facet |
Elana Nightingale Chantelle Richmond |
author_sort |
Elana Nightingale |
title |
Reclaiming Land, Identity and Mental Wellness in Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Territory |
title_short |
Reclaiming Land, Identity and Mental Wellness in Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Territory |
title_full |
Reclaiming Land, Identity and Mental Wellness in Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Territory |
title_fullStr |
Reclaiming Land, Identity and Mental Wellness in Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Territory |
title_full_unstemmed |
Reclaiming Land, Identity and Mental Wellness in Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Territory |
title_sort |
reclaiming land, identity and mental wellness in biigtigong nishnaabeg territory |
publisher |
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127285 |
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agris |
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Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
anishina* |
genre_facet |
anishina* |
op_source |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; Volume 19; Issue 12; Pages: 7285 |
op_relation |
Mental Health https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127285 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127285 |
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International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
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19 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
7285 |
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