Weaving together mind, body and spirit: envisioning pathways to trauma-informed classrooms from Indigenous perspectives

Abstract

This chapter examines Indigenous (First Nations, Métis & Inuit) perspectives on trauma-informed pedagogies and practices in K-12 classrooms in Canada. The authors explore some of the tangled historical, socio-cultural and -political issues and consider the ways this knowledge informs trauma-informed education, teaching, and professional practices. While the authors acknowledge that many people groups have and continue to experience traumas, the focus of this chapter is on Indigenous peoples' experiences of trauma and its impacts on family, community, children, and youth in public schools. In this chapter, themes related to culturally and spiritually safe care will be examined in relation to Indigeneity, the diversity of Indigenous peoples across Canada, and the ways we are all implicated in colonial relations of power and privilege. Lastly, we will consider ways of moving forward in order to create more inclusive, trauma-informed care, and professional environments in both urban and rural contexts.