“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, participato...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Western Ontario
2019-01-01
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| Series: | International Indigenous Policy Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/iipj/vol10/iss1/1/ |
| 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, assetbased 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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| ISSN: | 1916-5781 1916-5781 |