Let the Land Heal You
Colonization has affected Indigenous communities and created a major shift in Indigenous ways of being,knowing, and doing. This letter explores how colonization has caused trauma for Indigenous communities,specifically Dene men in the Northwest Territories. As a Dene woman and current student in a s...
| Published in: | The Arbutus Review |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Victoria
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/arbutus/article/view/19461 https://doi.org/10.18357/tar111202019461 |
| Summary: | Colonization has affected Indigenous communities and created a major shift in Indigenous ways of being,knowing, and doing. This letter explores how colonization has caused trauma for Indigenous communities,specifically Dene men in the Northwest Territories. As a Dene woman and current student in a social workprogram, I work to uphold my responsibility to learn and be a resource to my people. In this letter, I willdiscuss the impacts of colonization on Dene men as a source of trauma, and the importance of returningto the land to heal oneself through Dene practices. I begin by discussing Dene people’s relationship tothe land as conveyed through our Creation Story. Next, I provide an overview of Dene experiences ofcolonization and systemic oppression. I then reflect on healing our historical trauma by returning to theland and allowing the land to heal us through ceremony. Keywords: Colonization, trauma, Dene |
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