THE HEALING JOURNEY

"Eig nnueie'l glusuaqann ugjit TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) aq IRS(Indian Residential School) system gisna Residential School".

I often regard those drifting toward suicide as "Shadow People". Why?

They are ready to fade into a state of nothingness , of non-being , because during their lives they felt that they were , indeed, nothing , worthless, and invisible.

Until this attitude is changed , no one will be able to reach those who are in such depths of despair....those, our very own, Shadow People.

The suicide rate among indigenous people far exceeds that of any other group of individuals. This is not surprising. Actually it would be a great surprise if suicide rates were low.

I quote from my recent Face Book post:

When a person's identity is ripped from them...when they are not permitted to speak their own language, when they are beaten for being "Indian", this brutal level of abuse causes a trauma which seldom heals, and indeed, is likely passed from generation to generation.

Think of it this way....Pick up a plate. Now throw it on the floor. If it is made of glass it will smash, right? Now tell the plate that you are sorry, that you will buy it a new beautiful cupboard in which to sit. But, the plate remains BROKEN. Many indigenous people are broken.

The healing process must come from within them , and they are making a Journey in that direction.

But, the white brethren who caused the problem has to help , and to be patient with the process of this Journey.. , I hope that helps....but that is how I personally see it.

A holocaust was perpetrated on this continent from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico. The number that the white people murdered ( in one way or another) is uncountable.....tens of millions I would guess.

This psychologically injures not just a race....but individuals.

Yes! There was a holocaust. Thousands of cultures were destroyed and obliterated. Tens of millions died , in horrific ways, one way or another.

It may have been worse for the living.....they became as nothing.

How does one recover psychologically from a state of nothingness? How does one move forward to embrace life? How does one encourage one's children to be citizens of this world of conquerors, of people who considered themselves superior, and who thought that we were worthless ?

How, again I ask, does one move forward from that level of trauma?

Again I quote:

We were a proud free People before governments gave us toilets. The People had dignity. The white people came, wanting land, wanting gold, wanting to move cattle, to settle, to build cities. And culture after culture was decimated, ground into the soil by white boot heels. ......

And then it is thought that to toss money at the situation will repair it..

The problem of high level of suicides among indigenous people was caused initially by 500+ years of white colonialism , sweeping across the North American continent and destroying lives like some great plague.

Spiritual Healing has to come from within . It has to come under the guidance of professionals of our own culture. It has to come with the support of our community , and our own people providing a safety net.

Many indigenous people feel worthless. We have to again learn to embrace our self worth.

We have to accept that we are important to this world, and that our existence offers something positive to the world. How does one take these ideas and manifest them in reality?

Centres of counselling need to be established. Indigenous people should be trained to staff these centres , and to be the Healing Facilitators.

These centres can be located in medical centres, other government buildings, or in our own facilities.

Why should health care providers be of the same nationality as their clients?

There will be more awareness of root cause of the trauma which leads to suicide. These medical professionals will not just listen and prescribe, but they will UNDERSTAND.

Having local Healing Centres will also provide opportunity for indigenous communities to be supportive , and to help provide some sort of safety net for at risk individuals.

Individuals who are at risk should have a hot-line which they can contact at any hour. They should be able to telephone, email, or Skype for help.

Despair can be passed from generation to generation , unless there is conscious intervention to stop the cycle.

Also, studies have indicated that memory of trauma can be embedded in DNA and thus be passed to one's descendants .

So the Healing Journey will be a slow process.

Yes, we will need good housing and water and sewer systems. Yes, financial aid will be necessary.

But throwing money at this situation is not what is going to fix it.

Systematic annihilation has a traumatic affect on a race, and its people .

The Healing Journey, through and past , our trauma may be a long one.

We ask for your help, your understanding , and your patience.

Many people think that those who are suicidal are cowards. This is NOT so. Those who chose that route do so because they truly believe it is their last option.

Sometimes the world is a very cruel place .

People are unable to deal with the level of pain that life on earth gives them.

First they may become alcoholics. This numbs the pain, and can help one to become unconscious.

They also turn to drugs , as these , too, numb and help one achieve an unconscious state....in which one does not feel, and thus experiences no pain.

Finally, they choose to leave life .....the other option , of staying here on earth, just hurts too much.

When dealing with potential suicides one has to realize that we have to help those individuals to acquire that which was lost , or never had, it: Nourishment for the soul.Wisdom and love from birth, they are here for a reason,make it simple and easy to connect to the sprit of our first mother.

Mi'kmaq: Pikto'l Sa'ke'j Miu's
Victor James Muise
Descendant from : Phillipe Muis and Family