“If You Fall Down, You Get Back Up”: Creating a Space for Testimony and Witnessing by Urban Indigenous Women and Girls

Historical trauma and the negative effects of colonialism continue to be played out within Canadian culture. These processes have a deleterious effect on physical and psychological health outcomes among Indigenous Peoples. Through the creation of a safe space as part of a decolonizing, participatory...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Indigenous Policy Journal
Main Authors: Cooper, Elizabeth, Driedger, S Michelle
Format: Report
Language:unknown
Published: Scholarship@Western 2019
Subjects:
cultural responsiveness
First Nations
Aboriginal
Metis
gender
cultural memory
advocacy
Community-Based Research
Community Health
Family
Life Course
and Society
Maternal and Child Health
Race and Ethnicity
Online Access:https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/iipj/vol10/iss1/1
https://doi.org/10.18584/iipj.2019.10.1.1
Description
Summary:Historical trauma and the negative effects of colonialism continue to be played out within Canadian culture. These processes have a deleterious effect on physical and psychological health outcomes among Indigenous Peoples. Through the creation of a safe space as part of a decolonizing, participatory activity program spanning 7 weeks, First Nations and Metis women and girls (aged 8-12) were able to begin to unpack what it means to be happy, healthy, and safe, and what is needed to actualize these goals. A community engaged, asset-based workshop approach provided a forum for participants to discuss the impact of traumatic experiences on the ability of adults to model a positive image of strength, independence, and confidence for their daughters, while creating a space to discuss change.

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