What is it?What is it?

Something caused all of the Something caused all of the following… What is it?following… What is it?

Alcohol and drug abuse; Alcohol and drug abuse; Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and

fetal alcohol effect (FAE); fetal alcohol effect (FAE); Sexual abuse (past and ongoing); Sexual abuse (past and ongoing); Physical abuse (past and ongoing; Physical abuse (past and ongoing;

especially, but not exclusively, of especially, but not exclusively, of women and children); women and children);

Psychological/emotional abuse; Psychological/emotional abuse; Low self-esteem; Low self-esteem; Dysfunctional families and Dysfunctional families and

interpersonal relationships; interpersonal relationships; Parenting issues such as emotional Parenting issues such as emotional

coldness, rigidity, neglect, poor coldness, rigidity, neglect, poor communications and abandonment; communications and abandonment;

Suicide (and the threat of suicide); Suicide (and the threat of suicide); Teen pregnancy; Teen pregnancy;

Chronic, widespread depression; Chronic, widespread depression; Chronic, widespread rage and anger; Chronic, widespread rage and anger; Eating disorders; Eating disorders; Sleeping disorders; Sleeping disorders; Chronic physical illness related to spiritual Chronic physical illness related to spiritual

and emotional states; and emotional states; Layer upon layer of unresolved grief and Layer upon layer of unresolved grief and

loss; loss; Fear of personal growth, transformation and Fear of personal growth, transformation and

healing; healing;

Unconscious internalization of behaviours Unconscious internalization of behaviours such as false politeness, not speaking out, such as false politeness, not speaking out, passive compliance, excessive neatness, passive compliance, excessive neatness, obedience without thought, etc.; obedience without thought, etc.;

Patterns of misuse of power to control Patterns of misuse of power to control others, and community social patterns others, and community social patterns that foster whispering in the dark, but that foster whispering in the dark, but refusing to support and stand with those refusing to support and stand with those who speak out or challenge the status who speak out or challenge the status quo; quo;

The breakdown of the social glue that The breakdown of the social glue that holds families and communities together, holds families and communities together, such as trust, common ground, shared such as trust, common ground, shared purpose and direction, a vibrant purpose and direction, a vibrant ceremonial and civic life, co-operative ceremonial and civic life, co-operative networks and associations working for the networks and associations working for the common good, etc.; common good, etc.;

Disunity and conflict between individuals, Disunity and conflict between individuals, families and factions within the families and factions within the community; community;

Flashbacks and associative trauma; i.e., Flashbacks and associative trauma; i.e., certain smells, foods, sounds, sights and certain smells, foods, sounds, sights and people trigger flashbacks memories, people trigger flashbacks memories, anxiety attacks, physical symptoms or fear; anxiety attacks, physical symptoms or fear; e.g. the sight of a certain type of boat or e.g. the sight of a certain type of boat or vehicle (especially containing a social vehicle (especially containing a social worker or RCMP), the sight of an old worker or RCMP), the sight of an old residential school building, etc; residential school building, etc;

Educational blocks - aversions to formal Educational blocks - aversions to formal learning programs that seem "too much like learning programs that seem "too much like school," fear of failure, self-sabotage, school," fear of failure, self-sabotage, psychologically-based learning disabilities; psychologically-based learning disabilities;

Spiritual confusion; involving Spiritual confusion; involving alienation from one's own spiritual alienation from one's own spiritual life and growth process, as well as life and growth process, as well as conflicts and confusion over religion; conflicts and confusion over religion;

Internalized sense of inferiority or Internalized sense of inferiority or aversion in relation to whites and aversion in relation to whites and especially whites in power; especially whites in power;

Toxic communication - backbiting, gossip, Toxic communication - backbiting, gossip, criticism, put downs, personal attacks, sarcasm, criticism, put downs, personal attacks, sarcasm, secrets, etc.; secrets, etc.;

Becoming oppressors and abusers of others as a Becoming oppressors and abusers of others as a result of what was done to one in residential result of what was done to one in residential schools; schools;

Dysfunctional family co-dependent behaviours Dysfunctional family co-dependent behaviours replicated in the workplace; replicated in the workplace;

Cultural identity issues - the loss of language and Cultural identity issues - the loss of language and cultural foundations has led to denial (by some) cultural foundations has led to denial (by some) of the validity of one's own cultural identity of the validity of one's own cultural identity (assimilation), a resulting cultural confusion and (assimilation), a resulting cultural confusion and dislocation; dislocation;

Destruction of social support Destruction of social support networks (the cultural safety net) networks (the cultural safety net) that individuals and families in that individuals and families in trouble could rely upon; trouble could rely upon;

Disconnection from the natural world Disconnection from the natural world (i.e. the sea, the forest, the earth, (i.e. the sea, the forest, the earth, living things) as an important living things) as an important dimension of daily life and hence dimension of daily life and hence spiritual dislocation; spiritual dislocation;

Voicelessness - entailing a passive Voicelessness - entailing a passive acceptance of powerlessness within acceptance of powerlessness within community life and a loss of traditional community life and a loss of traditional governance processes that enabled governance processes that enabled individuals to have a significant influence in individuals to have a significant influence in shaping community affairs (related to the shaping community affairs (related to the psychological need of a sense of agency, psychological need of a sense of agency, i.e. of being able to influence and shape the i.e. of being able to influence and shape the world one lives in, as opposed to passively world one lives in, as opposed to passively accepting whatever comes and feeling accepting whatever comes and feeling powerless to change it. powerless to change it.

Residential SchoolsResidential Schools

The previous 32 issues are all The previous 32 issues are all linked to residential schools linked to residential schools and the residential school and the residential school

experienceexperience

Why should we learn Why should we learn about residential about residential

schools?schools?Intergenerational TraumaIntergenerational Trauma

"Intergenerational or multi-generational trauma "Intergenerational or multi-generational trauma happens when the effects of trauma are not happens when the effects of trauma are not resolved in one generation. When trauma is resolved in one generation. When trauma is

ignored and there is no support for dealing with ignored and there is no support for dealing with it, the trauma will be passed from one it, the trauma will be passed from one

generation to the next. What we learn to see as generation to the next. What we learn to see as "normal" when we are children, we pass on to "normal" when we are children, we pass on to our own children. Children who learn that ... or our own children. Children who learn that ... or [sic] sexual abuse is "normal", and who have [sic] sexual abuse is "normal", and who have never dealt with the feelings that come from never dealt with the feelings that come from this, may inflict physical and sexual abuse on this, may inflict physical and sexual abuse on

their own children. The unhealthy ways of their own children. The unhealthy ways of behaving that people use to protect themselves behaving that people use to protect themselves can be passed on to children, without them even can be passed on to children, without them even knowing they are doing so. This is the legacy of knowing they are doing so. This is the legacy of

physical and sexual abuse in residential schools."physical and sexual abuse in residential schools."(Aboriginal Healing Foundation, 1999:A5)(Aboriginal Healing Foundation, 1999:A5)