Psychology: Issues caused by intergenerational trauma

fig.1. Kewa Pueblo (Pueblo of Santo Domingo), New Mexico (U.S.). www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/xa-kewap.html.

fig.2. Benavidez, Kalanah

"Selfies"(2024)

fig.3. Benavidez, Kalanah

"Family"(2024)

" Sharing One Skin", by Jeanette Armstrong speaks of the many psychological variations of the Okanagan community. They had 4 tribes that concluded of the Kettle, Okanagan/similkameen, San Poil, and the Methow. Along with those tribes,  there are 4 main capacities which include: physical, emotional, spiritual, and thinking-intellect. The 6 capacities of self, community, our one skin, language of the land, hands of the spirit, and creating community of heart.  Her reason for doing this, is to speak on the differences she sees between mainstream view and the Okanagan views of self. 

MLA Citation: Armstrong, Jeanette. 1996 "Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community." Pp. 460-470 in Jerry Mander & Edward Goldsmith (eds). 

"How place names impact the way we see landscape", by B.Toastie highlights the understanding of how sacred, important, and spiritual indigenous stories are to the land as well as to our own communities. He mentions the Mariposa Battalion which was an Indian-killing militia in the mid 1800's. Along with many others, he tells Native American history through his article. One thing that came up that is of high importance, is how our world is populated by numerous places named after colonizers. Another thing to highlight is that Indigenous stories are not being told correctly and are instead, changed. Overall, he speaks of the importance of our sacred indigenous stories and traumas connected to our land. 

MLA Citation: B. Toastie (they/them) (2022). How place names impact the way we see landscape. High Country News

¨And then I went to school", by Joe Suina  talks about the effect boarding schools had on young Native American children. They didn't understand how to be clean, neat, or tidy. They didn't understand english. They things they did understand, was to be Native American. Traditions, dances,songs,stories, that's what they knew. Having an outsider come into your land and homes, and take you away to American culture. It can be confusing to a child. They had to be punished, forced to learn a language they aren't familiar with, learn the white man's way. I'm sure from learning the white man's way which is a huge difference with our cultural ways of life, they grew a sense of embarrassment for their own culture.

MLA Citation:  Suina, Joe.  (1985), And then I went to school: Memories of a Pueblo childhood. New Mexico Journal of Reading, 5 (2).

The article,¨Understanding and Healing Historical Trauma: The perspectives of Native American Elders¨, focused on what elders from various communities have faces and the assimilation tactics that worked in their communities. From their interviews, they focused on man y different topics that affect their communities. One topic that was sad to read about, was the topic of internalization of oppression. This was a focus on their interactions with teachers in boarding schools and the difference in value structures. Participant 5 elaborated on how he/she felt while watching the Catholic film The Exorcist. They described their experience as having immense fear, Another topic that I want to highlight is the loss of culture and language. Participant 2 stated that, ¨once our language dies, we die¨. Also from being indigenous, we know the weight of our trauma and most of us carry that trauma with us. Overall, this article brought light and voice to our elders in Native communities who hav experiences trauma first-hand. They touched on many topics that still affect families, communities, and themselves. And, they recommended things for healing. They gave us a bigger picture of Native American history. 

MLA Citation: Grayshield, Lisa, et al. ¨Understadning and Healoing Historical Trauma: The perspectives of Native American Elders.¨ Journal of Mental Health Counseling, vol.37, Oct.2013, pp. 295-307.

In this article, they acknowledged intergenerational trauma and traumatic growth. They offered advice to schools. They also touched on topics like racial discrimination, community violence. As hurtful and as sad it is to have racial discrimination, they suggested ways to heal from that. Another topic was colonization. This topic still contributes to intergenerational trauma. Genocide of boarding schools and the forced separation from families into boarding schools that were developed to eliminate the culture and the indigenous people. It continues to have an impact on communities across the world. Overall, this article shared that school psychologists should disrupt oppressive systems that continue cycles of violence in communities. 

MLA Citation: Larez, Natalie A.,et al. ¨Understanding and Responding to Intergenerational Trauma.¨ communique, vol. 50, no 5, Jan.-Feb.2022, pp,It. Gale AcadenicOneFile, link.gale.com

In this video, Emily Sargeant talked about the emotional and psychological impacts of historical trauma. Overall, she had about 10 topics which were covered in roughly an hour. Her overall message was to bring light to the way our historical trauma affects our everyday life. Mainly from what is learned in our homes and educational system. It shifts our own way of thinking and as a whole, has impacted our ways of life. She also focused on the lost of cultural morals which has had a psychological effect within children. Children from the ages of 3-13 are still at the age where they do not fully understand the world around them and so children who come from Native American communities, do not fully understand our ways of life because of the loss of cultural morals. 

MLA Citation: ¨The Psychological and Educational impacts of Historical Trauma and families¨. Youtube,8 Oct. 2025

The article,¨Healing the Spirit: Exploring Sexualized Trauma and Recovering Among Indigenous Men in Toronto¨, examines the often-silenced experiences of sexualized trauma among Indigenous men and the unique challenges they face in seeking support. Rooted in the broader context of colonization, residential schools, and intergenerational trauma, the study shows how stigma, harmful norms of masculinity, and systemic distrust prevent many men from disclosing abuse. This article emphasizes that healing is most effective when grounded in Indigenous cultural practices. The research demonstrated that recovery involved restoring spiritual balance, identity, and community belonging rather than only addressing psychological symptoms. 

MLA Citation: Reeves, Allison, PhD., and Suzanne Stewart PhD.¨Healing the Spirit: Exploring Sexualized Trauma and Recovery Among Indigenous Men in Toronto.¨ American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research (online), vol.24,no.1, 2017, pp. 30-60. ProQuest

The video explains that intergenerational trauma in Black communities stem from historical oppression such as slavery, segregation, systemic racism, and economic discrimination. These traumatic experiences did not end with past generations but continue to affect families emotionally, psychologically, and socially. Trauma is passed down through learned behaviors, stress responses, and even biological factors. This can lead to anxiety, hypervigilance, mistrust of institutions, and mental health challenges. However, this video can also emphasizes resilience within Black communities, highlighting cultural stength, faith, activism, and the importance of healing through awareness, therapy, and open dialogue. 

MLA Citation: Roosevelt University. (2022, June 16). Intergenerational trauma in Black communities [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2XVjygjZQg

In this video, Dr. Mariel Buqué discusses how trauma is not just an individual experience but a legacy passed down through family and community patterns. She explains that intergenerational trauma shows up in the nervous system and behaviors learned through generations, particularly within Latino families where historical and social stressors contribute to its occurrence. Dr. Buqué emphasizes that healing involves recognizing these inherited patterns, addressing triggers, and embracing culturally responsiveness, holistic therapeutic practices that honor ancestral identities. Her approach blends modern therapy with practices that support emotional regulation, self-awareness, and purpose living, with the ultimate goal of helping individuals break cycles and create healthier legacies for future generations. 

MLA Citation: Growing Up Latina. (2023, August 24). Breaking the Cycle Healing Latinos from Intergenerational Trauma Through Therapy | Dr. Mariel Buqué [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb_Fsyt9SuI