Traditional Healing Practices in an Urban Indigenous Setting: An Autoethnography

Auteurs-es

  • Natalie St-Denis University of Calgary
  • Christine Walsh University of Calgary

Mots-clés :

decolonization, social work, traditional healing practices, urban Indigenous peoples, autoethnography

Résumé

A growing number of Indigenous and non-Indigenous social workers are actively working towards the decolonization of their practice. However, incorporating traditional healing practices within an urban Indigenous setting requires commitment and dedication to understanding these practices.  Relationships with Elders and access to traditional healing practices have been advanced as critical in this process.

Frameworks on how to do this work have been proposed, yet few have included stories of how these approaches are interwoven into daily practice in an urban Indigenous context. The goal of this autoethnography is to share experiences and reflections of frontline work and to further the dialogue to improve services for urban Indigenous peoples accessing social services. It is through the process of decolonization that social workers, not only fulfill their ethical professional obligations, but also contribute to reconciliation and the healing journey of Indigenous peoples.

Références

Absolon, K. (2010). Indigenous Wholistic Theory: A knowledge set for practice. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 5(2), 74-87.

Baskin, C. (2002). Circles of resistance: Spirituality in social work practice, education and transformative change. Currents: New Scholarship in the Human Services. Retrieved from http://www.ucalgary.ca/currents/files/currents/v1n1_baskin.pdf

Blackstock, C. (2009). The occasional evil of angels: Learning from the experiences of Aboriginal Peoples and social work. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 4(1), 28-37.

Briskman, L. (2013). Courageous ethnographers or agents of the state: Challenges for social work. Critical and Radical Social Work 1(1), 51-66.

Canadian Accreditation Council. (2016). Governance & Management Standards. 2015 Edition. Edmonton: The Canadian Accreditation Council.

Daschuk, J. (2013). Clearing the plains: Disease, politics of starvation and the loss of Aboriginal life. University of Regina Press.

Downing, R., Kowal, E., & Paradies, A. (2011). Indigenous cultural training for health workers in Australia. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 23(3), 247-257.

Ermine. W. (2007). The ethical space of engagement. Indigenous Law Journal, 6(1), 193-203.

Gray, M., Coates, J., Yellow Bird, M., & Hetherington, T. (2013). Introduction: scoping the terrain of decolonization. (pp. 1-24). In M. Gray, J. Coates, M. Yellow Bird, T. Hetherington (Eds.) Decolonizing social work. Burlington & London: Ashgate Publishing Limited

Gray, M. & Hetherington, T. (2013). Indigenization, Indigenous social work and decolonization: Mapping the theoretical terrain. (pp 25-41). In M. Gray, J. Coates, M. Yellow Bird, T. Hetherington (Eds.) Decolonizing social work. Burlington & London: Ashgate Publishing Limited

Hart, M. A. (2002). Seeking Mino-Pimatisiwin: An Aboriginal approach to helping. Halifax & Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing.

Hart, M. A. (2009). Anti-colonial Indigenous social work: Reflections on an Aboriginal approach. (pp. 25-41). In R. Sinclair, M.A. Hart, G. Bruyere (Eds.) Wicihitowin: Aboriginal social work in Canada. Halifax & Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing.

Hartmann, W. E. & Gone, J. P. (2012). Incorporating traditional healing into an urban American Indian health organization: A case study of community member perspectives. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 59(4), 542-554.

INAC. (2016). Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Urban Indigenous Peoples. Retrieved from https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100014265/1369225120949

Kirmayer, L.J. (2012). Rethinking cultural competence. Transcultural Psychiatry, 49(2), 149-164.

Little Bear, L. (2000). Jagged worldviews colliding. (pp. 77-85). In M. Battiste (Ed.), Reclaiming Indigenous voice and vision. Vancouver, BC: UBC Press.

Manitowabi, D. & Shawande, M. (2011). The meaning of Anishinabe healing and wellbeing on Manitoulin Island. Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health, 9(2), 441-458.

Nabigon. H. C. & Wenger-Nabigon, A. (2012). “Wise Practices”: Integrating traditional teachings with mainstream treatment approaches. Native Social Work Journal, 8, 43-55.

Newhouse, D., & Peters, E. (2001). Not strangers in these parts: Urban Aboriginal peoples. Government of Canada. Retrieved from http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1317306904046/1317306952706

Oulanova, O. & Moodley, R. (2010). Navigating two worlds: Experiences of counsellors who integrate Aboriginal traditional healing practices. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychology, 44(4), 346-362.

Rowan, M., Poole, N., Shea, B., Gone, J.P., Mykota, D., Farag, M., Hopkins, C., Hall, Mushquash, C., & Dell, C. (2014). Cultural interventions to treat addictions in Indigenous populations: Findings from a scoping study. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 9(34), 1-26.

Simons, M. & Sefa Dei, G.J. (2012). Reframing anti-colonial theory for the diasporic context. Postcolonial directions in education, 1(1), 67-99.

Sinclair, R. (2004). Aboriginal social work education in Canada: Decolonizing pedagogy for the Seventh Generation. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 1(1), 49-61.

Sinclair, R., Hart, M.A., & Bruyere, G. (2009). Wicihitowin: Aboriginal social work in Canada. Halifax & Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing.

St-Denis, N., & Walsh, C.A. (2016). Reclaiming my Indigenous identity and the emerging warrior: An autoethnography. Journal of Indigenous Social Development, 5(1), 1-17.

Tamburro, A. (2013). Including decolonization in social work education and practice. Journal of Indigenous Social Development, 2(1), 1-16.

Tuhiwai Smith, L., (2012). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples. Second edition. London & New York: Zed Books.

Trocmé, N., Knobe, D., & Blackstock, C. (December 2004). Pathways to the overrepresentations of Aboriginal children in Canada’s Child Welfare System. Social Service Review, 577-600. Retrieved from https://www.mcgill.ca/crcf/sites/mcgill.ca.crcf/files/2004/Overrepresentation_Aboriginal_Children.pdf

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015). Calls to Action. Retrieved from http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015). Honouring the truth, reconciling the future. Summary of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Retrieved from:http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Honouring_the_Truth_Reconciling_for_the_Future_July_23_2015.pdf

Walsh, C. A. & Aarrestad, S. A. (2015). Incarceration and Aboriginal women in Canada: Acts of resilience and resistance. (pp. 67-82). In E. Coburn (Ed.) More will Sing their Way to Freedom: Indigenous Resistance and Resurgence. Calgary: Fernwood Press

Walsh, C. A., MacDonald, P., Rutherford, G. E., Moore, K., & Krieg, B. (2011). Promising practices for reducing homelessness and incarceration among Aboriginal women: An integrative literature review. Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health, 9(2), 363-385.

Wendt, D. C., & Gone, J.P. (2011). Rethinking cultural competence: Insights from Indigenous community treatment settings. Transcultural Psychiatry, 49(2), 206-222.

Witkin, S. (2014). Narrating social work through autoethnography. New York: Columbia University Press.

Téléchargements