Reclaiming my Indigenous Identity and the Emerging Warrior: An Autoethnography
Keywords:
identity, Indigenous, social work, warrior, decolonizationAbstract
This autoethnography describes the Natalie St-Denis’ four-year journey in Indigenous social work, characterized as: awakening, exploring, indigenizing, reclaiming, belonging, and emerging Warrior. Awakening began with seeing herself as an ‘Indigenous woman’ and is retold through remembrances, reflections and conversations. In the second phase, guided by Elders, she embraces ceremony to explore her emerging identity. Adopting Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing serves to indigenize -- the third phase of the journey. Reclaiming, the fourth phase, is the actor’s reconciliation of both indigenous and Western worldviews, and in belonging, she describes the reconstruction of an Indigenous community. The final phase, emerging Warrior, concerns the integration of her personal and professional social work practitioner identity. St-Denis’ journey is revealed within the complicity of the social work profession in historical and ongoing colonization of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The Warrior is offered as a pathway to decolonize social work praxis.
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