Many Indigenous youth, particularly in urban areas, feel left behind and that they’re missing out on crucial opportunities for education and growth. Systemic barriers, intergenerational trauma, and a lack of access to culturally safe and effective mental health supports mean young Indigenous Peoples struggle more than the average individual in their age group.
Many Indigenous Peoples face emotional, spiritual, and physical disconnect from their culture, the land and their communities. Colonization and the residential school system deliberately implemented policies aimed at cultural erasure, leading to generations of traumatized Indigenous individuals and families.
The impacts of the residential and day school system continue to trickle down from generation to generation. Intergenerational trauma and forced separation from Indigenous culture has left many disconnected from their Indigeneity, language, and traditional teachings.
This monthly gathering meets over Zoom to pray the Rosary in 5 Indigenous Languages, English, & French spoken across Turtle Island
In a historic move that goes beyond symbolism and turns into concrete action, the Catholic Church in Canada is advancing a difficult yet essential process of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
The path to reconciliation begins with overcoming the physical and social barriers created by colonial institutions and the cultural erasure efforts that many Indigenous Peoples face living in remote areas.
Creating safe, supportive spaces for Indigenous Peoples requires a thoughtful approach, with an understanding of the challenges and struggles that have led to spiritual disconnection. This can be done using traditional healing elements, Indigenous worldviews, and education about how systemic institutions have inflicted trauma on Indigenous Peoples for generations.
The burden of intergenerational trauma is one that every Indigenous Person carries. Colonialism and systemic racism have displaced Indigenous Peoples from their lands and deliberately disconnected them from their cultures and support systems, leaving them with a distorted sense of self.
In 1885, groups of Métis rose up against the Canadian government over settler encroachment on their lands and increasing erasure of First Nation and Métis rights. A five-month rebellion began, known as the North-West Resistance, which ultimately culminated in a defeat with settlers gaining a firm hold over western Canada.
For generations, the transition from youth to adulthood in Wolastoqey Nation has been a sacred process guided by ceremony, cultural teachings, and traditional dances. Like many other communities, these practices have been disrupted by colonization and systemic polices that deliberately blocked these sacred cultural practices.
