Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community

When born into a community you are bred as an indigenous person, this article highlights that topic. There are so many different types of cultures out there and different forms of tradition but also similarities in some tribes. The Okanagan tribe have a strong connection to their community. When they describe a community they connect by identifying with having four main capacities: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual self. Physical self is defined as “flesh, blood, and bones are Earth-body” by seeing how the earth and the environment moves and cycles just as we do. Emotional self would be connecting and having an open heart for others and surroundings. Intellectual self as the Okanagan think as a community they help and engage with each other to get through anything because as a community combining logic thinking from each and every person from your community you’ll not only have power but also a strong bond with your people. Spiritual self is connecting to your tradition, language, other aspects of life by seeing that they have a spirit. The Okanagan have strong ties to these and their people. Technology has also been a major aspect for their community. Many of them tend to lose part of their identity to technology by letting go of culture and community.

Armstrong Jeanette. “Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community,” in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds), The Case Against the Global Economy. San Francisco, CA, Sierra Club Books, 1996. Pg 460-470.

Native American Identity

As Native Americans we are taught our roots from a very young age for a reason, this article points out some facts on how our generation now changes and adapts to the modern world today. For instance, technology it has become more advanced. Our indigenous people are now relying on technology for almost everything. Elders are worried about culture fading away because of how much our children have adapted to technology, not only technology, most of today’s indigenous children are speaking English more than their language. Also, how elders think about what the future may look like from past trauma, we have learned the ways and customs of “white people”. In today’s society many people are also not aware of how many indigenous tribes are under tribal sovereignty, this allows Native Americans the right to govern themselves or form their own government and regulations. Labels on Native Americans have become also a major conflict still today, people still refer to us as Indians when the proper term is Native Americans, American Indians, or Indigenous people. The overall concept of this article is that there are still many factors facing Native Americans that revolve around Native American identity and as a nation.

Horse, Perry. G. “Native American Identity” New Directions for Student Services, no, 109, Wiley Periodicals, Inc, 2005. Pp. 61-68.

Grief By The Numbers: Facts and Statistics

Grief is the emotional response that a person has after losing someone or something important in their life. While the loss of a human life is the most common cause of sadness, it isn't the only one. Any substantial loss may be emotionally draining and upsetting for a person, and it can also lead to complex mourning in certain people. Death of a loved one, suicide loss, divorce, loss of a job, and death of a pet are some common causes of grief. Grief has a variety of effects on one's overall health and everyday functioning. Several signs of depression and anxiety disorders coincide with typical bereavement processes. During the early stages of grief and mourning, crying, poor mood, and lack of sleep and appetite are all normal. Anxiety and depression illnesses have symptoms that are comparable for several weeks. Some people may turn to drugs or alcohol to self-medicate and to numb their symptoms. As a result, bereavement and drug abuse disorder frequently coexist when grieving.

Krull, Erika LMHP. “Grief By The Numbers: Facts and Statistics,” The Recovery Village, August 2021.

Scaling Up to Address Global Trauma, Loss, and Grief Associated With COVID-19

Despite the fact that mental health issues are a worldwide concern, the unprecedented consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are causing a considerable increase in psychological discomfort related with trauma, grief, and loss. According to general estimates 11-18% of the world's population or about one in every seven people fits the criteria for a diagnosable psychiatric condition at any one moment, but a global deficit of educated mental health professionals prevents sufficient responsiveness to existing requirements. Long-term psychological effects are predicted by trauma, loss, and sadness of human life to human livelihood. To better satisfy demand, one possible answer to this dilemma is to use scalable therapeutic interventions. Grieving, loss, and trauma linked with the coronavirus pandemic are numerous, ranging from the loss of routines, support systems, jobs, and the death of friends or family members. On the basis of large data sets, experts have uncovered tendencies that point to collective trauma caused by the COVID-19 epidemic.

Clinton, B. Amanda. “Scaling up to address global trauma, loss, and grief associated with COVID-19,” American Psychological Association. Published Dec 9, 2020.

Helping Children Grief

There many different symptoms of grief whether that be physically or psychologically, it affects people differently and it also depends on the death of a specific person. A person can have many unexplainable reactions or actions when they lose or mourning someone, grief becomes personal. Younger children and teenagers are more likely to be hit the hardest. Children see and experience different changes when it comes to losing a parent or grandparent, their whole world shifts for them. And because they are still developing they might develop trauma that can affect them later in life. And as for teenagers with the heightened feelings that each individual goes through, it affects them and most likely develops into depression and this leads to many unhealthy habits. With these two age groups it takes time for them to open up about these feelings which are very personal, but with support and encouragement it helps to make growth on recovery.

Bereavement and Grief, “Helping Children Grief,” © Copyright 2021 Mental Health America, Inc.

We Don’t “Move On” From Grief

Nora McInerry was a presenter on TED Talk that opened up and shared her own perspective on grief and what she felt when she lost her husband and how she was able to not move on but move forward with nothing but memories. From the tone of her voice you can really tell that jokes make the situation of talking about grief not that upsetting or devastating. As she goes on she mentions how it is not that easy to just move on. She reminisces about all the wonderful and memorable moments that come to mind when she thinks of her husband. Those are the moments that help you recover especially if there one those memories that make you smile. Because when someone dies there not really gone she explains by saying this beautiful saying she says to everyone “I didn’t not move on from Aaron, I moved forward with him..” because she was able to find love again and she is now married with a family. Her husband was able to help her understand some lessons of her own. And because of this she helps people realize certain things when grieving. That the only way to keep a person still present is the memories and little things you shared with that person is by always having that memory with you and being able to move forward with them.

McInerny, Nora. “We don’t “move on” from grief. We move forward with it,” TED, 25 Apr. 2019, Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khkJkR-ipfw.

The Times of Troubles

The Iroquios have a story to a very important tradition called the condolence ceremony, this ceremony is in a sense a grieving ceremony for the Iroquios people but brings peace to all political offices when an important member passes away. This story began long ago south of Lake Ontario, westward to the Finger Lakes and Genesee River, and along the Mohawk River, what is now New York had five separate indingenious nations: the Ononodaga, Seneca, Oneida, Mohawk, and Cayuga. Each tribe had protection barriers against enemies but sometimes it didn’t help have peace between each. People in their own tribes wouldn’t have peace with each other or they would go to war with each other. But an evil sorcerer by the name of Tadodaho was feared by everyone because of how cruel he was, Tadadaho would terrorize nearby villages of the Cayuga and Seneca and bring bad dreams to people. A fearful courageous chief of the Onondaga Hayenwatha made his people his priority and held a peace campaign in front of the grand council to help create peace between Tadadaho and the Iroquois people but Tadadaho appeared in fury. The next his daughter got very sick and unfortunately passed away because her illness was not curable, and since then every grand council gathering Hayenwatha lost his daughters because they assumed it was Tadadaho witchcraft. Hayenwatha became very depressed and mourned the loss of his daughters, those who were the last remaining of his family. But as he was grieving he had a few eye openers, especially after his interaction with a young man named Deganawidah helped change his mindset and comforted Hayenwatha in such a good way that he was able to come to peace with his time of grievance.

Graymont, Barbara. “The Times of Troubles,” American Indian History, Published 2014.

Silently Suffering After Pregnancy Loss

Sharing her story Cassandra Blomberg talks about her experience of grief and how it changed her life from negative to a positive outlook. She was willing to share her story on her miscarriages and how she saw it as a sense of enlightenment to other women that they weren’t the only who suffered in silence on their miscarriage. Cassandra then begins to explain how she felt ashamed of how many miscarriages she went through, the feeling of ashamned was part of her grievance. That was the first time she had felt a different type of level of grief, because it wasn’t like losing a friend, family member, or pet. She felt her emotions heighten and became more isolated with society and her mental health affected her daily routines. But as she realized that other women go through the exact same thing she decided to share her story with other women who had miscarriages of their own because she not only got loving support but she was able to help women who were struggling and griefing the same way. Cassandra also looked to her kids as motivation to heal. She was able to not focus on being depressed about the loss of her babies but she was able to let go and make more memories with the children she has already, but keep her babies alive in memory.

Blomberg, Cassandra. “Silently Suffering After Pregnancy Loss,” TEDx Talks, 1 June 2018, Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l22udhFhsOE

Today Show. "PTSD after miscarriage is crushing, but there's hope," https://www.today.com/parents/ptsd-after-miscarriage-crushing-there-s-hope-t173515