Carrying historical trauma

Abstract

Few studies investigate Indigenous peoples’ substance use through the historical lens in Taiwan. This chapter uses a historical trauma framework to investigate historical determinants of Indigenous people’s alcohol use, with a focus on Truku people. Historical trauma theory underscores that today’s Indigenous health outcomes are the long-reaching effects of historically traumatic events relevant to colonial oppression. Truku people believed that historical traumatic events led to the loss of lands, language, family cohesion, cultural practices, etc., which in turn impacted their relationships between interpersonal, lands/environments, and spirits of ancestors. In some Truku people’s experience, drinking alcohol has become their coping strategy to deal with cumulative stress, resulting from losses relating to colonial oppression. Viewing alcohol use within historical context challenges some dominant discourses that alcohol use is solely the fault of the affected individuals and is the responsibility of Indigenous peoples. Healing historical trauma requires repairing wounded relationships. Indigenous cultural practices are found to be able to connect and reinforce the relationships between individuals, families, communities, the spirit of ancestors, and environments. To heal historical trauma and promote Indigenous health and well-being, it requires revitalizing Indigenous cultures and eliminating institutional forms of colonial oppression, especially those that can limit Indigenous cultural practices.