A Collective Approach To Indigenizing Community Empowerment:

Genealogical and Geographical Kinship Ties

Gail Cheney, MS, PhD Student

Tina Ngaroimata Fraser, M.Ed, PhD (c)

Shana Hormann, MSW, PhD

Interwoven Perspectives

• Locating the “Self”: Indigeneity

• Cultural Preservation and Sustainability

• Kinship Ties as Catalysts for Community Empowerment and Transformation

• Collaborative Approach to Leadership

• The Collective Vision is Ours to “See”

Durie (2004) asserts:

Neither colonization nor socio-economic disadvantage is considered to be the most defining element of indigeneity. Instead, most indigenous peoplesbelieve that the fundamental starting point is a strong sense of unity withthe environment. This appears to be the most significant characteristic at least as defined by indigenous writers. ‘People are the land and the land is the people. We are the river, the river is us.’ (p. 1139)

Locating the “Self”: Indigeneity

A Time Prior To Colonization

• PRIDE of our Ancestors

• CRIES of our Grandfathers

• ANGER of our Fathers

• STRENGTH of our Children

Ancestral Knowledge

• Knowledge Transmission• Knowledge Translation• Knowledge Exchange

Linking the Past and the Present to the Future

Cultural Preservation and Sustainability

• Language, Songs, Dances,

Drumming

• Oral Traditions and Traditional Knowledge, Creation Stories

Legends, Mythology

• Customs, Values, Beliefs,

Protocols, Traditions

• Spirituality

Translating Values

• Story “Outside The Door”• Linking past and present to future

Linking Past, Present and Future

• Translating appropriate indigenous values into all of our contexts is vital to collective empowerment.

• Use and trust native processes of dialogue and democracy

• Translate academic learning back to the community and reshape it with traditional frameworks and knowledge

• Practice individual leadership by asking hard questions• Be willing to be true to the value of culture and tradition

but do not be tied to the “way it has always been done”

Collaborative Approach to Leadership and Change

“You can begin to make changes in your sphere of influence TODAY.”Arlie Neshahi (2008)

•Spirituality

•Commitment to the work

•Community

Leading during trauma: From trauma to healing

Theme: Spirituality

“Empowerment is to decide, to know in a spiritual way that the direction that you’re going is the right one and to be secure in that spiritually based direction and do it…for the good of the people, for improving the quality of life for the people…”

Lorelei DeCora (2002)

•Faith in Spirit, God, Higher Power, Creator

•Spiritual practices

•Private/Community

Theme: Commitment to the Work

“Some [cases] are pretty heavy. It can be a close family member so we try to be supportive for each other. We do cultural practice like cleansing if that’s their desire. We do have therapists here on the reservation … and then we have traditional healers who can work with them…” [Anonymous]

•Called to work with victims and their families

•Personal history of violence and want to give back

•Making change: local and global

Theme: Community

•Important for support

•Important for service delivery

•Internal and external communities

“The best thing I could do was to listen. Listening to someone does not give you permission or the right to speak into that person’s life ... I was present, I listened, I sometimes shared my perspective.” -Anonymous

The Collective Vision is Ours to “See”

Thank you

Gail Cheney, MS, PhD Student gcheney@antiochsea.edu (425) 417-1972

Tina Ngaroimata Fraser, M.Ed, PhD (c) frasert@unbc.ca(250) 960-6721

Shana Hormann, MSW, PhD shormann@antiochsea.edu (206) 268-4714