It takes a community to raise a child. Lifestyle, worldviews, language and cultural values shape identity. For disenfranchised youth, especially Indigenous children in foster care, living away from traditional lands and being disconnected from their traditional practices have left them adrift and at risk of losing their cultural identity.
For generations, Indigenous children have been forcibly separated from their communities through policies whose entire purpose was dedicated to erasing Indigenous cultural identity. Today, Indigenous children in British Columbia make up 60% of those placed in foster homes through the child welfare system, leaving them displaced from their families, communities and culture.
In 1984, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations were thriving despite generations of colonial oppression. More than half the community spoke their traditional language fluently and cultural practices such as canoe carving remained an active artform.
It is no longer a debate that Indigenous Peoples and their cultures endured great harm under colonialist policies for centuries. Today, many remain disconnected from their language, culture, and identity because of the ongoing effects of intergenerational trauma, residential schools, and the sixties scoop.
Since 1993, Mi'gmaq peoples living in what is now known as Québec have been revitalizing one of their most important cultural celebrations, the Listuguj Powwow. Today, it is one of the largest Indigenous gatherings in Atlantic Canada, bringing together people from across the country to celebrate Mi'gmaq traditions, language, and community pride through dancing, drumming and art.
Waterways that fed into the sea and the creatures that lived beneath those waves have been a source of life for Coast Salish communities since their inception. The relationship between the Coast Salish and the water shaped their culture, traditions and practices.
Youth are the foundation to building and carrying forward strong cultural identity and pride. Instilling traditional teachings early on is how the rich fabrics of many diverse cultures are carried forward through generations.
For centuries, colonial policies suppressed Indigenous ceremonies, traditions, languages, and storytelling. However, over the last few decades there has been a reclamation of cultural practices and an effort to revitalize traditions with a modern twist.
Spiritual and physical healing is a process steeped in sacred cultural practices, dependent on personal individuality, and varies depending on one’s experiences. For Indigenous Peoples, intergenerational trauma has caused deep wounds, leaving many struggling to manage their wellbeing.
In Indigenous communities, the transfer of sacred knowledge from Elder to youth thrived in historic settings due to living together in close-knit Nations. The forced displacement and the migration of many Indigenous Peoples away from their traditional lands has made this transfer of knowledge increasingly difficult.
