Why I Chose Indigenous Lived Experiences for My Website
Enrolled members of Indigenous Nations account for a small percentage of the population here in the United States of America, but before colonization, we were the people of Turtle Island. We were nearly eradicated during colonization, and the fact that we are still here, living, is a true testament to our ancestors’ determination to persevere through the worst imaginable scenarios you could think of. This genocide has profound effects on our communities and our people to this day, thanks in part to generational trauma. This blog is going to cover my experiences and what I have been through in my short 27 years on Mother Earth. I have met so many people who were shocked that I was Indigenous and that “we still existed”, do you understand how much that hurts?
In this blog, you will see me mention many phrases and words frequently, one being intergenerational trauma. The American Psychological Association defines intergenerational trauma as the transmission of trauma or its legacy from the generation that experienced the trauma to subsequent generations (American Psychological Association, 2023). It is important to understand that this is not purely psychological. The APA explains that this transmission is believed to be epigenetic, meaning it can affect the chemical markers associated with our genes rather than changing the genes themselves. Trauma can leave biological effects that may be passed from one generation to the next. The exact mechanisms are still being studied, but this is part of why generational trauma is so important to understand.
It is important that you read this definition. Read it again. Take time to think about it, and the next time you hear someone stereotype Native Americans as “drunks,” or use another horrible stereotype against us, I hope you think about what our ancestors went through, what our grandparents went through, and how it affects us to this day.
I want people to learn about us, understand us, and see us, not only our traumas, but our deep familial ties, our connection to Mother Earth, our ancient cultures and traditional practices, and what we do today in the modern world. I want to share the good and the bad. I want to talk about what it was like growing up on the reservation, moving away, and experiencing culture shock. I want to talk about family, grief, addiction, mental health, racism and discrimination, education, resilience, and the experiences that have shaped me into who I am today.
These are my experiences. They do not represent every Indigenous person, every tribe, or every community. They are my lived experiences as a Native person, and I hope that by sharing them, someone may understand us a little better, relate to something I have been through, or simply see a perspective they may not have seen before.
Welcome to About A Native.
Signed,
A Native
Reference
American Psychological Association. (2023, November 15). Intergenerational trauma. In APA Dictionary of Psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/intergenerational-trauma