The persistent wrongdoings of both the Canadian Government and the global community have meant that Indigenous communities across the world suffer from higher rates of mental health illnesses. Canada’s cultural genocide has heavily impacted thousands of Indigenous communities and left stains on the fabric of history. Decades of discrimination, racial profiling and generational trauma continue today, leading to disproportionate effects on the mental health of Indigenous peoples.
This past month Mi’kmaq fishers launched their fishery in southwest Nova Scotia, and although federal fishing rules restrict fishing out of season they cited the 1999 court ruling of R v Marshall affirming that they have a right to earn a “moderate livelihood.” In retaliation, an angry mob of 200 non-Indigenous fishers began ransacking a storage facility in Nova Scotia that held lobster, and along with destroying property, racial insults were spewed at the fishers all the while lighting vehicles on fire and destroying fishing equipment. (Bilefsky, 2020) The blatant racism and discrimination against the Mi’kmaq fishers increased the amounts of stress and anxiety. When the Police officers arrived at the scene of the riots, not one rioter was restrained by police enforcement. The Canadian Government's duty is to train their officers to restrain those who cause harm, however, in this case, there was clearly no action taken until the early hours of the morning when trauma has already been caused. One fisherman elaborated this by stating “I tried to keep my mind off all the hatred, You should try living inside all of the racism. I'm tired of it ... I feel numb."(Tutton, 2020) These violent attempts of destroying fishing practices when Indigenous people gained the right to fish out of season prove to have negative consequences on the livelihood, and mental health of Indigenous fisherman and their communities. Fishing is a part of the identity and culture of First Nations, and a constitutional Treaty right formed to sustain their economies and peoples. It is an important part of trade and helps promote mental, physical and spiritual health. If it is restricted or restrained in any way then the positive impact that fishing has on culture, languages, and suicide prevention and life promotion will be destroyed. (Whiteduck, 2017)
Traumas like colonization and forced assimilation are considered the root causes of teen suicide and drug or alcohol addictions in present-day Indigenous society. The sociocultural environments that are destroyed from loss of territory, genocide, and the domination of western culture and language tie into high numbers of depression, addictions and other mental health-related illnesses. ( Alex, 1999) The two Metis and Inuit suffer a much higher suicide rate and in Nunavut, 27% of all deaths in the Indigenous community since 1999 have been suicides. Some communities of the First Nations have epidemics of suicide, while others have few or several over the years. In both Indigenous groups, 19% of females attempt suicide, compared to 13% of males, however, these rates are alarmingly high in comparison to non-Indigenous rates. Youth with close family members who have attended residential schools are more likely to have experiences of suicidal thoughts (heretohelp.bc.ca)
The thousands of Indigenous children that were forced to attend residential schools experienced physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and each contributes towards the increased amount of depression rates seen in Indigenous communities. The children and grandchildren of the victims are also at a high risk of depression because the forced separation between children and their parents in the early stages of development cause broken relationships and lost attachments later on in life. Language barriers, differing values, and faith are reasons why victims would become estranged from their families. Not having a trusted adult to express emotion in childhood, leads to a harder time expressing negative emotions and because of this frustration and anxiety, residential school victims would be more vulnerable to depression later on in adulthood. In addition to the lack of emotional consolidation, alienation is a contributing role and in an unaccepting environment, this can be detrimental to mental health and the well being of Indigenous residential school survivors.
Indigenous communities are known for their holistic view of mental wellness, this means taking into account the treatment of the whole person, instead of just the symptoms of the disease. It is meant to address the root cause of an illness and recognize the mental and social factors that play a role. The First Nations and Inuit have created culture, family, spirituality, and community as frameworks of treatment and each plays a role in helping individuals maintain a sense of balance in their daily life. Effective healing rituals reflect cultural values and explore the connection with family, friends, community members, nature and culture facilitated healing. (nccih.ca) Although mainstream western medicine does not take the route of holistic wellness as often, many therapists now receive culturally appropriate training in order to fulfill the needs of Indigenous communities and those who wish to seek the same. Adequate treatment services, whether from the mainstream industry or from their community, is something that all Indigenous community members deserve and should have access to.
Mental health illness in Indigenous societies increases day by day, as the Canadian government left them without rightful ownership of their land, forcefully divided their families, abused the children who attended residential schools and provided insufficient quality of life among many other things. These unjustifiable actions result in high rates of alcohol and drug addictions, teen-suicide, and a high risk of depression and anxiety especially later on in adulthood. The mental well-being of Indigenous communities should be a priority for the Canadian government, as they conducted a century-long genocide leaving communities with instability that needs to be repaired.
Work cited
Khan, S. (n.d.). Aboriginal Mental Health: The statistical reality. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/visions/aboriginal-mental-health-statistical-reality
Tutton, M. (2020, October 23). For Mi'kmaq fishers, dreams of a peaceful harvest on N.S. waters repeatedly dashed. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/for-mi-kmaq-fishers-dreams-of-a-peaceful-harvest-on-n-s-waters-repeatedly-dashed-1.24226014
Bilefsky, D. (2020, October 20). In 'Lobster War,' Indigenous Canadians Face Attacks by Fishermen. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/world/canada/nova-scotia-lobster-war.html
Author Cohen Alex. (1999, June 01). The Mental Health of Indigenous Peoples: An International Overview. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/mental-health-indigenous-peoples-international-overview
Whiteduck, R. (2018, May 18). First Nations Fishing Rights - Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://www.afn.ca/first-nations-fishing-rights-fact-sheet/