First Nations
Workshops Conducted For First Nations Communities
Presented three workshops at the first “National Indigenous Sexual Abuse Conference” (in Edmonton) on:
“When Children Act Out Sexually: Abuse Reactive Children” (audio taped)
Presented two-day Workshops for Bands:
Day 1 was on “The Effects of Trauma and PTSD” (a review of the literature and research – including a review of the long term effects of multiple and long term trauma as related to sexual abuse and Residential school experiences, including Postcolonial stress effects)
Day 2 was titled “When Children Act Out Sexually: Abuse Reactive Children” (with a section on Adult sex offenders)
Presented research on Children With Conduct Disorder
Presented a two day workshop “When Children Act Out Sexually: Abuse Reactive Children” (see sample itinerary)
Presented a two-day workshop to Band Social Development Workers: “Grief and Loss”
Presented two day workshops to Band Social Development Workers:
“Introduction to Counselling Children”
“Sexually Abused Children”
Presented two day workshop:
“Dreams - How They Can Help You”
Presented one day workshop:
“Child Abuse” a training session for reserve school personnel
Presented one day workshop:
“Child Welfare Training Workshop for Native Child Welfare Workers”
Presented one day workshop:
“Child Sexual Abuse” a training session for reserve School
Presented research on: “Sexual Abuse – Offenders and Victims: Implications for Treatment”
Presented half- day workshop:
“Normal Child Sexual Development in Teenagers”
Presented half-day workshop:
“Normal Child Sexual Development for Children 2 to 10”
Past Work With First Nations Peoples
Dr. Shewchuk has worked with First Nations peoples living in Edmonton’s inner city, and in the north (in the Yukon and Northwest territory).. For twelve years she was contracted to provide mental health services (including consulting) and providing specialized treatment for individuals who experienced complicated grief, addictions, and multiple, long term abuse “on site” at an northern Alberta reserve (and has provided services “on site” to a number of other Alberta, and British Columbia First Nations communities for shorter periods of time). She is currently providing clinical services/consultation/ and training to a variety of first nations communities.
Historical researchers document First Nations’ history as one of massive trauma, unresolved grief and a legacy of genocide (e.g., Legters, 1988; Braveheart-Jordan & DeBruyn, 1994; McDonald, 1990; Washburn, 1998).
In their book entitled Native American Postcolonial Psychology, Duran and Duran (1995) summarize the effects of the colonization. They state:
Native American people have been subjected to one of the most systematic attempts at genocide in the world’s history. At the beginning of the colonization process in North America there were over 10 million Native American people living on the continent. By the year 1900 there were only 250, 000 people left (Thornton 1986). For over five hundred years Europeans have attempted to subjugate, exterminate, assimilate, and oppress Native American people. The effects of this subjugation and extermination have been devastating both physically and psychologically (p.28).
Therapists need an understanding of what Braveheart-Jordan (1995) refers to as the historical trauma and the historical legacy and its profound impact upon the aboriginal people. Part of the traumatic events included the forced removal of First Nations children from their families and the placing of them in “Indian boarding schools” or “residential schools”.
The rate of all types of abuse in these “residential schools” was high. However, though information regarding the nature of the abuse suffered by those living in these schools has been narratively documented (Tafoya & DelVecchio, 1996), statistical information on the incidence of abuse has been kept confidential by the Canadian government, and the agencies that the government funds (such as the Provincial Residential School Project, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada). The unusual confidentiality around this issue may possibly be due to the numbers of “residential school survivors” taking the government and churches to court for compensation. A search of the literature, review of Canada census, and a review of the First-Nations literature, provided no prevalence rates. In addition, the researcher telephoned various Government of Canada offices and First-Nations agencies. All of which acknowledged the high abuse rates but could or would not provide statistics.
Robin, Chester and Goldman (1996) write of the cumulative trauma and P.T.S.D. of First Nations peoples as contributing to the development of addictions and other psychiatric disorders. They note that P.T.S.D. appears to be strongly related to substance abuse, anxiety, and depression (p. 242). However, they also state “as a diagnostic category, P.T.S.D. fails to describe the nature and impact of severe multiple, repeated, and cumulative aspects of trauma common to many {First Nations} communities (p. 246). They suggest that “complex P.T.S.D.” or Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified could be more accurate in describing the nature of stressor criteria for Native communities.
Carol Locust, (1995) researcher from the University of Arizona, has examined the impact of colonization and degradation of the aboriginal peoples culture, lifestyles, social norms, spiritual beliefs, and so on. She refers to a condition similar to P.T.S.D., referred to as Post Colonization Stress Disorder (P.C.S.D.). She notes that the one major difference between the two conditions is that with P.T.S.D., the stress eventually stops. She states that for native people, there was “no relief from the invasion”. The intense suffering frequently results in substance abuse, suicide, motor vehicle accidents, and other unnatural deaths.
Jackson (1999) further notes that “spiritual wounding” is of special note when treating First Nations children. Jackson, the Assembly of First Nations (1994), McCormick (1998), and Mussell, Nicholls, and Adler (1993) note that for treatment to be successful, it needs to be more holistic, evolving around the being of each person. This includes treatment to address the physical being, the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the person, as well as the harmony between each of these and the environment. In addition, LaFramboise, Trimble, and Mohhat (1990) note that First Nations healing often requires individuals to transcend the ego, rather than strengthening it as Western therapies aim to do.
Treatment of the First Nations people is complicated by the fact that the Native world view is not something that can be generalized to all First Nations people. The world view will vary depending on each client’s tribal or band affiliation, personal characteristics, and level of acculturation to mainstream society.
Contact info:
(604) 899-9229