The Art of Mindfulness

“If you let yourself be absorbed completely,

if you surrender completely to the moments as they pass,

you live more richly those moments.”

Anne Morrow Lindberg

Mindfulness is a process in which we attentively observe our experience as it unfolds, without judgment or eval-uation. It is an awareness of how we think, speak and act. When we are fully engaged in mindfulness practice we are attending to what is happening, to what we are doing, and to the space we are occupying. Studies have revealed that people who focus on the past and future are less likely to be happy than people who concentrate on the present. Anyone can practice mindfulness because it cultivates universal human qualities and does not require anyone to change their beliefs.

            Mindfulness practice can become a way of living when it brings awareness and caring to everything we do cutting down on needless stress. Even a little bit of mind-fulness practice can enhance our lives. It is evidence based. Both science and experience has demonstrated positive correlations between the practice of mindfulness and our health, happiness, work, and relationships.

            A multitude of progressive doctors have recom-mended mindfulness practice for conditions such as in-somnia and irritable bowel syndrome. When we deal with our day to day complexities and uncertainties, mindfulness can lead us to effective and resilient answers to unyielding challenges. Because of our fast pace, media saturated cul-ture, we need support and encouragement concerning un-plugging, slowing down, and connecting to our inner life. Picture ourselves quietly listening to our breath after a hectic morning. We can finish the day by calmly addressing problems with a revitalized understanding. By grasping the indispensable nature of meditation and mindful awareness we intensify the power to positively influence our own mind and experience and to know a well-being not ruled by circumstances. Mindfulness practice is a purposeful, non-judgmental mode of awareness.

The benefits of practicing mindfulness are:

·         Reduction of stress.

·         Increased capacity to focus and concentrate, as well as mental clarity.

·         Freedom from damaging patterns of thought and emotion.

·         Trains our mind to let go of any thought unrelated to the present moment.

·         Increased learning capability and memory.

·         Improved well-being and peacefulness.

·         Fosters the ability to switch between various modes of mental activity which grants flexibility of our attention.

·         Trains a number of our brain functions including attention control, cognitive inha-bitation, mental flexibility, and emotion regulation (Weiss, 2004).   

Part of the mindful process involves meditation. We can meditate in various ways. We don’t have to sit still to meditate. We can take a walk in a beautiful area, or in the city on our lunch hour. Ideally, quiet locations are best. Mindfulness can be done while walking, standing in line at a grocery store or sitting at a desk. We can close our eyes or leave them open and focus on our normal breath. Then move our focus to the task at hand. The important thing is to allow our mind to become quiet. We can set a timer to alert ourselves when it’s time to head back so that we don’t have to think about the time. Then we basically walk at a brisk but comfortable pace. We can allow our mind to focus merely on the experience of moving. We can notice how our body feels moving through space, how our feet lift up and down, how our back holds us upright, how our hips move us forward.

Pay attention to our movement in as much detail as possible, and tune out the outside world. We can move while focusing on our breath, noticing while we inhale and exhale. Or we can count our breaths, starting from one to ten and beginning again. When I go on a walk in the woods I sometimes pay attention to the leaves crunching under my feet, the rustling of branches overhead and the sounds of birds and I feel so peaceful. If we are focusing on our breathing and moving, or counting, our minds will not be able to return to worrying or any other disturbing thoughts.

 The practice of mindfulness involves being mindful while completing daily tasks. Take eating for example. We can pay attention to the food we are eating, how it tastes, and the texture. How does it feel when we are eating the food? Is it warm, hot or cold? So often we are in a rush and eat really fast and before we know it, we have consumed a lot of calories and didn’t really enjoy what we ate. When we eat mindfully, we will enjoy our food a lot more and eat less because we are paying attention to our eating.

Ten tips to assist us with practicing mindfulness fully in our lives:

·         Pay attention to our own perspectives, which involve choosing how we view our lives.   We can perceive ourselves as victims without any control of what happens in our lives or we can see ourselves as masters of our own destiny. We could be in a crowded store one day and not be bothered by the crowd and then another day every nerve is on edge in the same crowded store. It is important to understand that our frustration comes from within and it is not reliant on external sources.

·         We can establish or maintain efficient communication skills to assist us with applying a greater sense of restraint, empathy, or perspective to any communication we have with others which is vital concerning all relationships. All of us have people in our lives who can push our buttons; but being aware of their personality types and how to continue treating these individuals with kindness is vital for our own peace of mind. We can’t be frustrated with someone and be at peace at the same time.

·         Taking the time out of our busy schedules to smell the roses. Oftentimes we can place our focus on the negative things in our lives, even small difficulties such as someone pulling out in front of us when we are driving. We should focus on the wonderful things life has to offer, even our breath is a miracle. We need to focus on what we have instead of what we don’t have.

·         Treating ourselves and others with kindness. When we are kind to others we feel better and more at peace. We live in a world with such high expectations and we can be so critical of ourselves if we don’t live up to our personal expectations. The question “What do you do,” referencing our jobs creates more stress especially if our jobs are not considered mainstream. A friend of mine responded by saying “You mean for money,” great response and it takes everybody off guard. 

·         Compassion is a lot like empathy which means seeing what it is like to be in the shoes of another individual. It means seeing, thinking and feeling what others are experiencing. It’s part of our awareness. It doesn’t mean we take on the pain others are experiencing, it means understanding the pain they are feeling. 

·         Having balance in our lives. Our lives can be like the ebb of the sea with calm and serenity and then there are massive waves capable of capsizing boats. The challenge is to not be swept away by the strong waves of emotion. It is essential to develop a way to  ride the waves and accept the waves as a part of our lives.

·         The process of acceptance includes what we need to let go of, rather than what we need to start doing. There is no such thing as the ideal life free from stressful challenges. We often get frustrated when we don’t get our way. Observe when we are experiencing moments of resistance so we can become more aware of what prevents us from accepting what is actually occurring. 

·         Maintaining a posture of composure and letting go of impatience. Many of us are experiencing busy, hectic lives and in return we are often feeling impatient. During these moments of impatience, our foot may be tapping, our breath is shallower and our jaw is tightening, not peace inducing actions. Notice the impatience and turn that intolerance into a sense of curiosity, the very nature of the irritation we are experiencing is changed. When we become aware of our impatience we will develop a sense of ease.  Just taking the time to notice will change our perspective.

·         Develop a sense of dedication to finish things we started and the ambition we need to start new tasks we need to accomplish. Again, mindfulness is about a shift in thinking and feelings. We will develop an understanding about our motivation and why we are doing things, not just going through the motions.  Find things we are passionate about and do them. 

·         Being present and living life skillfully will prevent us from saying and doing things we will regret later. Think before we say and do things, consider the consequences of our actions. It will give us the strength and wherewithal to respond sensitively to challenging situations rather than reacting spontaneously. By becoming more aware of our-selves and trusting our own instincts more fully, we can learn to apply this quality of discerning our actions in everyday life and begin to live more skillfully (Weiss, 2004).

Living a life of mindfulness means developing an awareness, an understanding of ourselves and others. It’s not about trying to be someone else. It’s about finding a sense of acceptance and ease about who we are at a specific moment in time. Mindfulness practice works because we are not trying to attain benefits. We befriend ourselves as we learn how to drop in and visit with ourselves and just hang out in awareness. Mindfulness meditation allows us time in our busy lives to unleash our curiosity about the workings of our minds while approaching the present moment with warmth and kindness towards ourselves and others. It permits us to take a vacation from fretting about the future or something that just happened. Mindfulness is about establishing a peaceful curiosity by watching, obser-ving, and noticing what is happening in every aspect of our lives, how we act, how we speak, and how we think.

Flexing Our Emotional Intelligence Muscles

“You cannot do a kindness too soon,

for you never know how soon it

will be too late.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emotional Intelligence is one of the most important forms of intelligence we can possess which is represented by our ability to assess, monitor, and manage our own personal emotions and the emotions of others. It is the ability to gain an understanding of our and others’ emotions, and to draw upon that knowledge to manage situations before they become overwhelming for everyone involved. Making a commitment to our emotional well-being can be an uphill struggle.

Emotional intelligence involves the following:

·         Self-Awareness: Being aware of our inner signals, recognizing how our feelings affect us, and how we are attuned to guiding values for determining the best course of action in various situations.

·         Self-assessment: Knowing our limitations and strengths and exhibiting a meaningful sense about ourselves.

·         Self-confidence: Being able to use our strengths to assist us with handling any given situation.

·         Self-control: Finding ways of managing our dis-turbing emotions and impulses and the ability to channel these emotions and impulses in useful ways. 

·         Transparency: Establishing an authentic openness to others about our feelings, beliefs, and actions.

·         Adaptability: Being flexible in adapting to new challenges. There is no such thing as a problem free life, so accepting that there are going to be problems in our lives is important.

·         Optimism: Finding ways in which we can roll with the punches, and seeing challenges as opportunities for growth and learning rather than as setbacks.

·         Empathy: Being able to be attuned to a wide range of emotional signals of others.

·         Catalyst for change: Being able to recognize the need for change even if we are faced with oppo-sition. Sometimes the opposition exists within us (Coleman, 1995). 

The word “emotion” was derived from two root words meaning “move” and “out.”  Emotion is a form of energy that moves out from a person’s innermost recesses into an experience, and then into action and/or speech, by these means into the world at large. Our emotional history has been associated with fear which was based on our ability to react in a manner that ensured survival. Our ancestors possessed the capability to jump into action to protect their families from danger, dangers such as opposing tribes and the European invasion. Our emotions have provided us with the impulse to act. Without our emotions we would be walking around like robots without demonstrating or experiencing any feelings. 

We still encounter situations that require us to jump into action immediately. These automatic reactions are orchestrated by our limbic system, the older portion of our brain, which can aid in our continued existence. I was in a couple of serious car accidents and when the accident was occurring it felt as if I was in a dream state and my body was going through the necessary motions such as turning the stirring wheel in the right direction which saved my life and the lives of others. Being automatically placed in this dream state is a way in which we are protected from the seriousness of life threatening situations (Ellis, 2001). 

Healing from trauma requires cultivating emotion instead of extinguishing it. When we experienced trauma in our lives, the trauma tended to constrict our range of emotion. We may be stuck in feelings of resentment and/or fear, unable to experience positive emotions such as joy.  Healing from trauma needs to accompany feelings and expressing our feelings more. It may help to think of emotions as a flower garden with different kinds of plants, some weeds and thorns among the beautiful flowers. 

Cultivating emotions is the best way of managing our emotions and preventing an emotion overload. Because of the trauma many of us faced, we can feel bombarded by intense emotions and we are often blindsided due to our suppression of our feelings. When our feelings are sup-pressed, these feelings are intensified over time and come out in disruptive ways.  Cultivating our emotions creates greater awareness of all our emotions, negative and posi-tive. This is a preventative measure, because we cannot influence what we do not know. There are various emotions that play a major role in trauma: fear, anger, shame, guilt, disgust, and sadness.  Again, cultivating our emotions can prevent further eruptions. Our world is judged by our emo-tions; hence, our emotional judgments can be informative and motivating (Coleman, 1995). 

Fear and anger are a part of our self-protective emotions. When we feel threatened we automatically respond quickly and with vigor by running, or counter-attacking, depending on the situation. Our logic doesn’t step up to the plate in these circumstances.  Instinct guides our actions. Emotions set our priorities. If we have a history of trauma, then we may become horrified by a sudden bombardment of emotions such as anger. However, we can take a step back and examine our anger from another angle.        Emotions can interrupt our ongoing day to day activity, which can reorganize our priorities and can consequently reorganize our functioning. Perhaps we can go back to a time when we were doing our day to day activities and received an unexpected phone call. The person had bad news to tell us. The bad news reorganized our priorities from completing the task at hand to the newly discovered crisis.   

Emotions consist of major components which are physiological reactions, expressions, actions, thoughts, and feelings. Many emotions can trigger useful actions or reactions. When we are angry we may feel like striking out. The physiological reactions, expressions, and emotional actions can occur quickly before we have a chance to think.  Emotions trigger thoughts and thoughts trigger emotions. Our emotions either warn us about something that may harm us or they may steer us to something that may benefit us. Emotions are usually brief only lasting seconds or minutes. Self-awareness is essential for effective emotion regulation. Although, self-awareness can be extremely painful, it can be especially excruciating if we are exper-iencing feelings of fear, shame and guilt (Coleman, 1995). 

Today many Native American homes resemble war zones, homes laced with higher rates of domestic violence, child abuse, child neglect, and substance abuse than any other sectors of the population. The victims and the abusers are in a state of chronic crisis. Many people are in a con-stant flight or fight mode. Most abusers are in a flux of pain and suffering also along with the people who are being mistreated. Happy and content people are not cruel, exploit-tive and dependent on substances to deaden their pain. 

Throughout history the most common response to conflict has been violence: interpersonal, emotional, phy-sical, and international, concluding in an organized murder ritual called war. Many people see conflict as war and refer to peace as an ideal society. As a result, we repress our individuality as a way of eliminating conflict from our lives. Peace cannot be found in utopian societies because it goes against our nature. The more we are in denial about conflict, the more we struggle with denying our dark side, our alter ego we refer to as our evil twin. It is not the conflict itself but how we react to the conflict that gets us into trouble. Conflicting values and interests are inevitable. Opposition is not to be feared but to be ad-dressed in a beneficial way.  Conflict is normal between individuals, groups and globally (Block, 2009).

Each and every one of us has conflicting wants and needs. Reality often conflicts with our expectations. Dealing with conflict in a healthy manner is the way we learn. It’s the basis for all thinking, learning, creativity, problem solving and personal development. When reality goes against our belief system, opportunities for new ideas and insights occur. Our old beliefs are often challenged by new ideas. Through conflict we are often given the oppor-tunity to see more clearly. Our emotional well-being is challenged when we don’t possess the tools to handle con-flict in a healthy manner. We need to adopt an under-standing of our emotions in order to do so (Ellis, 1988). 

When we are fortifying our emotional intelligence we need to regain a sense of safety, which means finding ways to neutralize our anxiety. We need, with perhaps the help of a counselor, to explore why we are jumpy, hyper-vigilant, and experiencing nightmares and panic attacks, all symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues. Gaining an under-standing of the symptoms and why they are occurring will lessen the fear associated with them. 

Once we develop an understanding of why we experience stressful feelings such as dread and anxiety, we can begin to establish a strong foundation for enhancing our emotional intelligence. Examine why we are feeling all emotions including happiness, anger, sadness, and anxiety. There is often a deeper meaning to why we are feeling the way we are. On the road to establishing a strong emotional intelligence base we also need to examine why others are exhibiting specific feelings. Look for cues such as facial expressions, voice tones, and gestures. Explore what is be-hind what they are saying and doing. 

When we are on our healing journey, we need to be emotionally committed to the process of healing. Great leaders may not be handsome or beautiful, but they are emotionally committed to a vision and to the people in-volved in the realization of the vision. An emotional com-mitment is necessary for anything we want to accomplish from establishing healthy relationships to accomplishing household tasks. During our healing journey we need to picture life without pain and suffering and then we need to become emotionally committed to our healing process.  

Managing emotions will take some time, but we will begin to recognize why we are feeling the way we are and in turn will be able to recognize triggers that may lead to unsettling emotions. Managing the emotions of others will also be comprised of making changes in the way we communicate (Coleman, 1995). For example, my dogs chased a man and his dog and demonstrated threatening behaviors when he and his dog were jogging past our home on a public street. He was very angry about my dogs’ behaviors.  Instead of get-ting defensive, I apologized and told him he was right. My proactive approach defused his hostility immediately. He had every right to be upset and I validated his feelings.

Enhancing our emotional intelligence skills is cru-cial for establishing healthy relationships with ourselves and others. If we don’t enhance our emotional intelligence, we will be stuck in a realm of uncertainty and dismay. Oftentimes when we don’t understand why we or others are distressed, angry or frustrated, we may feel lost and confused and perhaps take it to heart the perceived hurtful acts of well-meaning individuals. When we are able to read and manage our emotions and gain an understanding of others’ emotions, we will be on our way to healing from our unresolved trauma. 

Three Fires

Three Fires Blazing

Three Fires Blazing,

Brightly, Majestically.

Keepers of Faith,

Keepers of Trade,

Keepers of Fire,

Steadfast loyalty.

Three Fires Blazing,

Red, Black, White, Yellow,

All brothers, coexisting,

Marching forward,

Heads held high,

Steadfast loyalty.

Three Fires Blazing,

Wisdom, Knowledge,

Servants of Creation,

Strong fierce warriors,

Champions at birth,

Steadfast loyalty.

Three Fires Blazing

Respect, honor, dedication,

Soft spoken elegance,

Strong moral leadership,

Daunting tasks prevail, 

Steadfast loyalty.

Originally the Anishanaabeg in Michigan were a col-lection of closely related tribes: Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi. Their alliances were established when they reached the area of Michlimackinac on their journey westward from the northeastern Atlantic coast. The Midewiwin scrolls revealed that the formation of the Council of Three Fires was dated back to 796 AD at Michilimackinac. The Ojibwe were addressed as the Older Brother, the Odawa as the Middle Brother, and the Potawatomi as the Younger Brother. The Ojibwa were referred to as the keepers of the faith, the Odawa were the keepers of trade, and the Potawatomi were the designated keepers of the fire. Their alliances were established when they reached the area of Michlimackinac which is currently referred to as Mackinac City, Michigan, on their journey westward from the northeastern Atlantic coast.

            The Three Fires Council had several meeting places. Michilimackinac became the preferred meeting place due to its central location. The Council met for military and political purposes. Through the totem system based on the clan structure and promotion of trade, the Council generally had a peaceful existence with its neighbors.

            During the 1750s, France expanded its territorial claims into the Ohio River Valley, which further instilled animosity between France and Britain. In 1754 and 1755 the French defeated the young George Washington, General Edward Braddock, and Braddock’s successor, Governor William Shirley of Massachusetts. The British military efforts were thwarted by a lack of interest at the home front, opposition among the American colonies, and France’s success with gaining more support from Indian allies. In 1756 the British formally declared war against the French beginning the Seven Years’ War or better known as the French and Indian War. The new British commander in America, Lord Loudoun, was confronted with the same issues as his predecessors. He met with the same defeat against the French and their Indian allies. 

            Circumstances changed drastically in 1757 due to William Pitt’s vision, his vision of expanding the British Empire. Pitt served as the Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs for Britain during the time of the French and Indian War. The colonial conflicts provided the tools to accomplish this goal. To fund this venture Pitt borrowed heavily and offered reimbursement to the colonies to acquire troops in North America. He also paid Prussia to fight in Europe for the British. In 1758, the British won their first great triumph at Louisbourg near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.

            The British conquered the French at Fort Frontenac at the western end of the St. Lawrence River. The French lost command over the Plains of Abraham in 1759 which resulted in the fall of Montreal in 1760. The French lost their foothold in Canada. Spain joined France against England. Britain increased its efforts to seize more of the French and Spanish territories in other parts of the world.[i]

            In March of 1762 the King of France, King Louis XV, ordered a formal request for peace talks with the British government. The British government was also interested in stopping the war. The war was extremely expensive and was financed by accumulated debt. The creditors financing the British military efforts were wondering if Britain could pay off its loans. Also British King George II died and his successor George III was interested in ending the war. The peace talks between France and Britain resulted in the Treaty of Paris in 1763. In the terms of the treaty, France turned over all its territories in mainland North America which ended the military threats to the British colonies.[ii]

            Dissention continued to occur between the Anglo-American colonists and the British Government because of conflicting interests. The British were tired of providing a military presence to manage the post-treaty policies which were supposed to address the interests of the Indian people and the colonists. An argument transpired about the levying of taxes to pay for debts concerning wartime expenses. The Treaty of Paris resulted in the colonists moving towards independence even under the tyranny of a stalwart British Empire.

           

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Discovering Our Cultural Values and Identity

“The point of the journey is not just healing.

It’s also recovering the truest, most

spontaneous, joyful, and

creative core of ourselves.”

Gloria Steinem

We establish a sense of belonging by learning about our cultural roots leading us down a path of discovery. We can meet others who are on the same paths as we are and they can provide us with positive support and encouragement. Sometimes people can be their own worst enemy and do the opposite of what is needed. For example, many Euro-Americans have lost touch with their cultural origins. A person of European descent once said “What about the white people? We left our families of origin to move to this country and forego our cultural ties to the communities we left behind. We have suffered also.”

            Yes, many Euro-Americans did suffer. All of the people in the world resided in some form of tribal community during the distant past. For the sake of becoming mobile societies, a multitude of people have lost valuable connections to their cultural roots. The results of the Aboriginal Healing Project in Canada demonstrated the importance of returning to our cultural heritage. Cultural intervention has been associated with successful healing practices concerning overcoming the harmful effects of historical trauma. 

            Activities aimed at renewing and reviving Native American cultures have contributed to individual, family, and community healing. These activities include Elders’ teachings, storytelling, language programs, activities involving nature, feasts, Pow Wows, learning traditional art forms, harvesting medicines, drumming, singing, and dan-cing. Culture is connected to the collective values and worldviews of all people. Culture is the shared set of beliefs derived from the group’s practice of a shared lan-guage, behaviors, customs and knowledge and a common understanding of reality, history and future for a specific group. Cultural interventions tend to be collective activities and these activities promote a sense of belonging.

Many of us have merely existed in limbo trying to figure out who we are and what is really important to us. Take note about what is important to you and make a list of your values. Explore where these values came from; for example if you know you are of Indian descent, what is the significance as far as your own personal belief system. We need to place importance on our values and to remind ourselves that those who forsake their values to please others pay a high price. Our cultural values strongly repre-sent who we are. We would be hard pressed to find many people who can say they are 100% Native American or any other ethnic group for that matter in this country. The United States is a melting pot of diverse ethnicity. We need to consider other factors as well when questioning our cul-tural values and making the determination about what is important to us. 

The following exercise is designed to help us en-hance our cultural awareness. We can meet with family members and/or work by ourselves to examine responses to the following questions in our effort to explore our own culture:

·         Who took care of us when our mother or caregiver was away from home? At what age were we left alone? At what age were children in our family given responsibility to care for the other children in the family?

·         What form of discipline or punishment did our family use most often? Did this form of discipline effect how we felt about our parents? How so? Were there any kinds of discipline or punishment our parents wouldn't use because they felt it was harmful to us?

·         What were the family rules about meals? Did everyone sit down at the table together? Who cooked? Did our family cook regular meals every day? Could we eat whatever we wanted, when we chose? What kind of food did we eat most?

·         Did our family have different expectations for specific children in the family? Older or younger children? Boys and girls?

·         Who made what kinds of decisions in our family? Which were made by our mother, our father, or other family members? Any joint decisions? What influence was there from extended family, grand-parents, others living in the home? What decisions were children permitted to make for themselves?

·         Who did our family turn to for help and support in times of need or trouble? Did we help ourselves?  Did we turn to immediate or extended family? Did our family have a wide range of extended family and friends? A church group? A community? Did we turn to professional helpers such as a plumber, electrician, counselors, and/or the bank for exam-ple?

·         Did adults other than our parents care for us for a period of time or have a strong influence on our development? How did we feel about being cared for by people other than our parents? What was our relationship with relatives? What part did aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, non-blood family members play in our lives?

·         What were our family's values and beliefs con-cerning the following:

Respecting our Elders

Formal education

Finances, money, and the importance of money and success

Rites of passage

Religion and spirituality

Codes of Conduct

The role of reciprocity (a mutual interchange of        favors and privileges)

Appreciation for diversity (learning valuable            lessons from other cultures)

The major life goals our families had for us

·         What family values and patterns of behavior do we still adhere to and which have we changed (Institute for Human Services, 2008)?

            The practice of cultural interventions cannot be considered the entire part of our healing, but it will open the door to more intensive healing by creating a sense of identity, pride, and belonging. It can lead to developing a better sense of underlying values such as wholeness and balance. Healing is sacred and there are various forms of cultural practices that may enhance our healing process.

            Ways in which to explore our cultural heritage may include meeting with other family members and ask what ethnic groups our family came from before coming over to this country if we are not only of Native American descent. If you are of Indian descent, again meet with elders, attend cultural events such as Pow Wows and read books about the Indian and other cultures you may be connected. Again, many of us have several lines of descent from European, Native American to Asian.  Explore your heritage by using the internet. Your exploration and discovery of your cul-tural values and identity will prove to be very rewarding.

Historical Trauma

“The greater the difficulty,

the greater the victory.”

Cicero

The negative impact of historical trauma is still resonating with many Native Americans today.  A multitude of Indian people suffer from a whole host of maladies such as higher rates of domestic violence, depression along with other mental health issues, poverty, domestic violence, child abuse, child neglect, and substance abuse, more than any other ethnic group in this country. Historical trauma is an accumulation of traumatic experiences which have made a negative impact for multiple generations of Indian people occurring over a long period of time. For over 500 years, physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological genocide was inflicted on the Native American people.

            Soon after contact of the European colonizers, a period referred to as “cultural transition,” Native Americans were stripped of their social power and cultural authority. As soon as they realized they could not escape the catastrophic events inflicted upon them, they began to adopt “giving up” behavioral patterns. They withdrew socially, which in turn lessened their social and psycho-logical investment in all their relationships, personal and with their communities.

            As a result of the cultural and social disruption, they engaged in destructive behaviors, social alienation and developed serious psychological problems, such as alcohol-lism, drug addiction, and other forms of displaced re-enactments of conflict. These disparaging behaviors were acquired during the cultural transition period and later during the boarding school period leaving a legacy of recurring dysfunction and disturbing behavioral patterns associated with cultural disruption through acts of genocide and discrimination. 

            Imagine the difficulty many children faced when they were forced to attend the Indian boarding schools. Again, many of these children were sexually, emotionally, spiritually, and physically abused. The overall damage in-flicted on the children was tremendous. Many Native Americans who were forced to attend boarding schools and/or reside on reservations were taught that what hap-pened to them was their fault. They were led to believe they deserved to be abused and many have lost the ability to trust themselves or others. Because they had no place to turn for safety, their sense of hopelessness grew over time.  Historical trauma has taken its toll on many Native Ameri-can people.

            Historical trauma occurred in six phases:

·         The first contact with the Europeans which led to a life filled with shock, genocide, no time for grief and then the colonization period which introduced disease and alcoholism.  

·         The second phase was economic competition between various tribes and their European invaders over resources during the fur trading era and the introduction to a market based economy. There were physical and spiritual losses experienced dur-ing this time period for the Indian people.

·         The European invasion continued involving a war period which included extermination and refugee associated problems.

·         Next was a conquest and reservation period which consisted of forced dependency on their oppressors and a lack of security.

·         The boarding school era destroyed family systems which involved physical assaults, and sexual abuse, along with prohibition of Native languages, spirituality, and cultural associations. The lasting effect includes individuals poorly prepared for parenting. Many Native American people also ex-perienced identity confusion.

·         The final phase of historical trauma consisted of forced relocation to reservations and a termination period, a period when federally recognized tribal nation status was abolished along with the services associated with this status such as food assistance. Many Native Americans perished due to a lack of food and medical services. There was continued prohibition of religious freedom, racism and dis-crimination, being viewed as second class citizens to the rest of the population and a loss of a sup-portive governmental system and a sense of belonging to a community (Eyaa-Keen Centre, Inc., 2003).

            The following characteristics represent some of the detrimental effects of historical trauma:

·         Helplessness

·         Injustice

·         A lack of trust

·         Feelings of insufficiency

·         Toxic shame

·         Chronic guilt

·         Feelings of brokenness

·         A lack of healthy boundaries

·         Persistent confusion and frustration

·         Isolation and avoidance

·         Self loathing

·         Impulse control involving alcohol, drugs, eating, and/or spending (Stout and Kipling, 2003).

·         Maladjusted anger feelings

·         Unhappiness and dissatisfaction

·         Anxiety disorders, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder  

·         Poor communication skills

The Native Americans’ cultural development was severely disrupted. Our cultural identity was disrupted by legislation, Christianity and later on by not knowing how to get it back. Today, we experience glimpses of our cultural identity through exposure to events such as Pow Wows and other traditional cultural events, a rare occurrence for far too many. Many of the Indian children who attended the boarding schools came from different tribal entities. However, they were placed in these institutions and treated like they were all the same. Many of these children came from distinctly different cultures. Oftentimes, they did not even share the same native language. This created barriers to establishing a sense of connectedness while attending these institutions. Language in itself is a very important means of communication with others. The ability to communicate in one’s own language as well as the shared commonality of cultural practices was taken away from a multitude of Native American people; thus, creating serious cultural disturbance.

Cultural disruption has created conditions of:

·         Loss of faith and spiritual beliefs

·         Internalized stereotypes

·         Surviving instead of thriving

·         Cultural isolation

·         Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other anxiety issues

·         Depression (Stout and Kipling, 2003).

Intergenerational impacts involved a multitude of circumstances such as when the British and French pursued a vast amount of the North American territory and its resources which in turn instilled further rivalry between opposing tribes due to the shrinking of resources. During the fur trading era the relationship between the European entrepreneurs and the Indians occurred under a drunken haze brought on by alcohol for the unsuspecting tribal people. A drunken Indian was easier to steal from and use than a sober one. Indian children were taken from their parents and communities and placed in cruel and unyielding institutions referred to as boarding schools.  Meanwhile, spiritual practices were outlawed so what did the parents of these children do, they turned to alcohol for their source of comfort.

            Acute traumatic events can occur almost anywhere at any time, such as car accidents and natural disasters. Conversely, chronic, long-term trauma occurs only in circumstances of captivity in which the victim or victims are held prisoner. Think about the Native American people who were sequestered to reservations and placed in boarding schools. The children who were forced to attend boarding schools were punished severely if they ran away. As mentioned earlier, physical, psychological and sexual abuse occurred at these institutions on a regular basis. 

            The captivity of the children in the boarding schools set up a situation of prolonged contact with the perpetrators creating a special kind of relationship, one based on coercion. The psychological damage of subordination to coercive control has common features such as diminished self-esteem and depression. The perpetrators such as those in authority at the boarding schools and those placed in control of carrying out the reservation legislation became the most powerful people in the lives of the Indian people. The mindset of the victims is shaped by the beliefs and actions of the perpetrators. Often little is known about what is behind the beliefs and actions of the perpetrator. However, one common denominator is the perpetrators believe they are free from assuming any fault concerning any of their wrongdoings. They place blame of any problems or issues they are facing on the victims. 

One of the most disturbing discoveries was that often the perpetrators appear to be normal to the rest of the world, beyond the abusive environment even though the pathology practiced by the perpetrators was, and is, awful. I have read many sources which portray perpetrators in prominent positions such as doctors and lawyers. The pedophile priests were often in the limelight due to their public acts of generosity and good will. This idea can be deeply troubling to most people. They walk amongst us and we are none the wiser. For example; Adolf Eichmann during Hitler’s reign committed heinous crimes against hu-manity; however, a dozen psychiatrists diagnosed him as normal. Eichmann served as the main drive behind the holocaust. He organized and managed the arrangements for the deportation of many Jewish people to ghettos and extermination camps.

The perpetrators are often paranoid, and experience feelings of grandiosity, feeling as if they can possess and conquer the world. They are aware of the realities of power and social norms so they can fit in without being noticed. The perpetrators seek out situations in which tyrannical behaviors are tolerated, condoned and/or admired. Hitler set the stage for domination of the Jewish people so I imagine Eichmann’s behaviors were admired by Hitler and Hitler’s devoted followers. The abusive individuals at the boarding schools were able to treat the children as if they were objects undeserving of respect. No one stopped them. 

Recently some of the Catholic pedophile priests have been punished for their heinous acts. Many of those who ran the prisoner of war camps and inflicted harsh treatment on the prisoners had to answer for their crimes. What about the people who wielded the harsh treatment on the children at the boarding schools? The government made a formal apology for the treatment of the children who attended the residential schools in Canada. There has been no acknowledgement in the United States concerning the harmful acts wielded upon the Native Americans due to the implementation of reservations and boarding schools.

The perpetrators often demand from their victims respect, gratitude, and sometimes love.  For example, the pedophile nuns at the Holy Childhood Boarding School in Harbor Springs, Michigan, would often create a simulated loving situation with the boys they were having sexual contact with. They would treat the boys as if they were in love with them. Their advances would begin with kissing the boys and then they would bring these boys to their bed-rooms to perform sexual acts. Many of the boys felt aban-doned when the nuns moved onto other boys.

One of the first goals of the perpetrators is to enslave the victim(s). They do so by controlling all aspects of the victim’s life. But simple obedience demonstrated by the victim is not enough, they move towards gaining the victim’s validation and/or they humiliate the victim in some way. The perpetrators will use the victim’s feelings of shame to gain even more control over them. Often the victims live in constant fear. The children were shown what it was like to not be compliant by observing other children being physically and emotionally abused in front of them at the boarding schools. Many of the Indian children were punished severely in front of their peers if they ran away from these cruel institutions. Many of these children were also punished harshly if they were caught speaking their native language. 

The children were often underfed at the boarding schools and a common punishment involved sending chil-dren to bed without dinner. This control results in physical debilitation.  Along with being hungry most of the time, the children were forced to work extremely hard at the schools. They were expected to clean, cook, maintain the grounds, farm, other miscellaneous duties and were expected to also attend school instruction for a few hours a day. These children were exhausted, hungry, and abused. 

Research has been conducted concerning the aftereffects of the trauma faced by veterans of war. The studies involved how the trauma faced by these veterans effect their offspring.  There have been discoveries that the cells within the bodies of the veterans and their offspring contain the memories of the trauma of being on active duty.  Many of the Native American people today are obese and as a result have been diagnosed with diabetes. Could this be the result of their grandparents’ and parents’ starvation when they attended the boarding schools? We often overeat if we don’t have a good relationship with food. If food was scarce for our parents and/or grandparents, we may take on the scarcity way of thinking which was passed down from one generation to the next and as a result overeat. The higher levels of obesity within the Native American pop-ulation can also be attributed to the quality of food many can afford.

Depression, a result of historical trauma which exists for a multitude of Native Americans, is a common response to oppression. Oppression is the result of an imbalance of power in relationships. Depression equates to a discrepancy in interpersonal relationships and also creates a chemical imbalance. Depression is anger turned inward and it represents unaddressed anger. In other words, depression has arisen in situations in which anger and aggression was suppressed due to fear. A double edged sword is generated consisting of suppression of anger and aggression coupled with chronic resentment. This dilemma contributes to internal stress as well as adding to rela-tionship conflicts that in the end fosters additional stress. 

Oppression is usually evident in abusive inter-personal relationships such as the relationship between the Euro-Americans and Native Americans throughout history; however, an extreme accumulation of stress can also become oppressive, which in turn can lead to a response of defeat. We can feel trapped after experiencing situations that feel inescapable, not just physically but also psychologically. The intrusive symptoms of painful memories and strong emotions can contribute to a sense of oppression. It is possible to have an oppressive relationship with ourselves as a result of past destructive treatment. We may be the target of our own anger, harsh criticism, and unrealistic demands, adopting a defeated and indignant relationship with ourselves. A whole host of problems can result from self-inflicted oppression as well as from the oppression imposed by others.

            The past of Indian children involved censored and restricted communication while they attended the boarding schools. The children were forced to remain quiet and stare straight ahead while they were in the classrooms much like today’s classrooms. They developed a method of communicating with their eyes when outside of the classroom. They could speak volumes with eye contact amongst their fellow peers.  Again, these children were punished, often severely, if they spoke their native language. Speaking became a privilege which could not be practiced for much of the day and into the evening, when they were working on their homework or completing chores. Their communication with their parents through let-ters was censored. As a result, it is my opinion that many Native American people suffer from vast communication barriers today as a result of Historical Trauma. 

            If Indian children were forced to attend the boarding schools for long periods of time, they discovered that communication with their families of origin was difficult to impossible when they were finally permitted to return to their homes. Trust was one of the main reasons why communication was difficult with their families. They were strangers to their families because they were brainwashed into being something they were not, Euro-American replicas and because of their long stay at these institutions away from their families. Their parents and siblings, who did not have the misfortune of attending these institutions, were worlds apart. These children spoke differently, and often their appearance was dissimilar from the rest of their family. They soon discovered they did not fit with their families of origin, usually shortly after moving back home. Thus, many Native American families were torn apart literally. Living on the fringe of both cultural groups and in the effort to belong somewhere they would participate in activities which brought them even more shame and feelings of despair. All feelings attributed to historical trau-ma.

Historical trauma has taken its toll on many Native Americans. The weapons of mass destruction against the Indian people for centuries have been; but are not limited to: small pox infestations and other acts of genocide; the introduction of alcohol; broken treaties; forced attendance at boarding schools; enforcement of reservation legislation; and mass sterilization.  It is difficult to determine which losses hurt the Native American people the most. With the vast amount of discrimination, it would be amazing if Indian people have any self-esteem at all. To make matters worse when things are in disarray for Native Americans, blame has often been placed on the victims.