Ethnostress: The Disruption of the
Aboriginal Spirit
A SMARTRISK Learning Series Presentation
November 27, 2007
Prepared by: Diane Hill - Aboriginal Education
Consultant - First Nations Technical Institute
Ethnostress: The Disruption
of the Aboriginal Spirit
• Aboriginal Ethnicity & Its Associated Stress
• Stemming From The Disruption Of The
Cultural Beliefs That Foster A Positive Native
Identity
• Ethnostress Is The Result Of Oppressive
Conditions Forced Upon A People In Their
Own Environment
The Residential School Era
Report of Royal Commission On
Aboriginal Peoples, 1996
• The Constitution Act of 1867 – Indians And
Lands Reserved For Indians
• Canadian Government Adopted A Policy Of
Assimilation
• To move all Aboriginal Peoples from Their
Helpless “Savage” State To One of Self-Reliant
Civilization
It [civilizing] required a concerted attack on the
ontology, on the basic cultural patterning of the
children and on their world view.
They had to be taught to see and understand the
world as a European place within which only
European values and beliefs had meaning: thus, the
wisdom of their cultures would seem to them only
savage superstition.
A wedge had to be driven not only physically
between parent and child, but also culturally and
spiritually. (p. 341)
Oppression Creates Oppressive
Behaviour Patterns
• Human Beings remember what they did to
survive their pain.
• A similar stressful or painful experience will
cause the memory or internal tape recording
to go off.
• Human beings then react to new situations
with old behaviour.
Ethnostress As The Underlying
Problem/Issue:
• Disruption in the transmission of Aboriginal
Cultural philosophy due to impact of
Residential School
• Internalization of oppressive messages about
being a Native person has impaired the
psychological & social development of
Aboriginal people
The Behaviours of Ethnostress
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Contradiction in Values/Beliefs
Frozen Needs
Internalized Stereotypes
Loss of Faith & Belief in One’s Culture
Internal Factionalism
The Behaviours of Ethnostress
• The Narrowing of Culture
• Culture Under Glass
• Adoption of Survivalist Behaviours
The Aboriginal Community Context:
• Requires Healing and A Move towards Whole
Person Development through the teaching/relearning of Aboriginal cultural philosophy that
can be used to help Native adult learners
transform their perception of themselves,
others and the world more broadly.
An Aboriginal Approach to Whole Person
Development
BODY
MIND
SPIRIT
EMOTION
An Aboriginal Approach to Whole Person
Development
PHYSICAL
MENTAL
INTUITIVE
EMOTIONAL
RELATIONAL
An Aboriginal Approach to Whole Person
Development
PRESERVATION
BUILDING
AWARENESS
STUGGLE
An Aboriginal Approach to Whole Person
Development
Acting on it
DOING
Knowing it
UNDERSTANDING
Seeing it
VISIONING
Relating to it
FEELING
Holistic Healing: Requires A Decolonizing
Methodology
• The dismantling of these old behaviours or
“distress patterns” in order to break the hold
that they have on a person’s thinking,
creativity and ability to sustain healthy and
functional relationships with one’s self and
others.
• A reclaiming and relearning of one’s
Aboriginal cultural philosophy, traditions and
customs to promote a positive Native identity.
Creating Partnerships and Services for
Aboriginal People Often Means The
Promotion of Aboriginal Cultural Beliefs
and Practices
• Aboriginal Approach to Holistic Healing &
Health Promotion: Requires a
learning/teaching methodology or a service
delivery method or a program design that
emphasizes whole person development for
the purposes of personal and social
transformation.
Whole Person Development to Combat
the Ethnostress
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•
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•
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Is Accomplished by Aboriginal People Via:
Sweat Lodge Ceremonies
Fasting Rites
Personal Medicine Societies
Healing Circles
Storytelling: For the Purpose of Reviewing
Life Experiences and their Impact on the
Person/People
Nia:wen Kowa!
Great Thanks!