Post by Dave on Aug 23, 2012 22:34:10 GMT -5
I am going to get into a lot of trouble for saying this --- but,
I grew up wondering why so many of the blacks I knew were so defensive. Affirmative action has become reverse-discrimination.
The Following Article speaks volumes about the phenomena of social conditioning. Manipulating the population to get them to behave or act in a certain way. Dictating social attitudes.
What is historical grief and trauma?
This is the grief and trauma that happens to not just one person or one family during a certain time period. It is grief and trauma that occurs over several generations.
“There has been wave after wave of trauma brought upon many Indian people,” SAYS Patty Grant, a historical grief and trauma presenter.
“The diseases brought upon our people, the forbiddance of culture and language, the boarding schools – these were all major traumas that damaged huge groups of people,” she explains.
Once these traumas were inflicted, they created dysfunction inside many Indian communities. Now, generations after the trauma, the dysfunction inside some of the communities still exists.
It can get in the way of taking care of (yourself)
Historical grief and trauma can get in the way of taking care of (yourself.) … If people are affected by trauma, they may feel negative, or may not have energy to take care of themselves. A lot of times, the reasons for these negative feelings are not clear. “I have lived much of my life being self-destructive,” says one Muskogee (Creek) woman. “When I found out I had diabetes, I took care of myself for a while, then I stopped. I became self-destructive again. I suddenly stopped (following my diet,) and quit exercising. It was if I felt I had no worth.” Once off her diet she would eat even more than she wanted. “I just hated not being able to give myself what I wanted.” Her feelings of not wanting to ever be deprived might have come from a history of being deprived.
Understanding is the first step towards joy
Of course, some tribal communities and some families are not as affected by historical grief and trauma. It is not a condition that affects every tribe and every person. But for some people, the affects are real, and appear as unexplainable feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, and depression.
There have been alcoholism, emotional abuse, obesity, and (poor health in my family, says, Chenoa Gass, of the Eastern band of Cherokee Indians. “I’ve had a lot of anger and self-hate,” she says.
Chenoa is one of many tribal members who have attended workshops on historical grief and trauma. During the workshops, people learn more about the history of the American Indians. The workshop’s goal is to not point fingers oR place blame. The intent is not to give people an excuse for negative behavior and feelings. The goal is to understand reasons for negative behavior as a first step towards positive behavior.
Not just doom and gloom
People attending the workshops learn about the traumas their ancestors faced. They learn how these traumas not only caused grief, but damaged, or even destroyed healthy functional social systems.
But the workshops are not all about “doom and gloom.” They paint a beautiful picture of traditional Indian tribes…. “We had ways of handling problems. We had a contented, happy society.” For many, just seeing beautiful pictures of Indian individuals, families, and communities ... brings peace. It helps people redefine themselves as good and worthy. It provides a beautiful goal to strive for.
Understanding can change your life
Taking the first steps to look at historical grief and trauma can be hard. Some people may not feel a need to consider historical grief and trauma as a reason for any of their stressful feelings. Workshop presenters say that’s okay.
But, for people who think understanding this trauma may be the key to understanding some of their feelings and behaviors, attending a trauma workshop can be a huge life changing experience.
“When I first started learning about it, it was like a light came on inside of me. I began to understand my mother and the impact of boarding schools, poverty, and alcoholism. It was scary and unsettling to think about these things. But I felt a need to know. I felt like it was my responsibility to find reasons for my feelings,” says Patty.
Chenoa’s journey with understanding trauma began when she was a teenager. In high school she wondered why she was always scared. She worried why her father was often upset and guilt-ridden. In college, she found herself crying for no reason. She fely guilty about having the opportunity to go to college.
When Chenoa attended her first historical grief and trauma workshop, she was overwhelmed. She said, “It seemed huge. But, for the first time, I could understand and I felt hope. I knew I had taken my first step to healing.”
Feel the joy and pass it on
Almost everyone who attends a workshop does it for their children. People say they want to deal with their feelings of anger, fear, guilt, and depression, so they won’t pass them on to their children. They know they must be healthy in spirit, so they can teach their children ways to have jealthy spirits. People say dealing with trauma is not just about studying a sad past. It is a way to find joy.
Chenoa, who was recently married and is planning on having children, says, “I think I can change the course for my children’s lives. I want them to feel joy. I don’t think we can go back in time and change things. But, we can learn from it. In this way, we can right the wrongs.”
I grew up wondering why so many of the blacks I knew were so defensive. Affirmative action has become reverse-discrimination.
The Following Article speaks volumes about the phenomena of social conditioning. Manipulating the population to get them to behave or act in a certain way. Dictating social attitudes.
What is historical grief and trauma?
This is the grief and trauma that happens to not just one person or one family during a certain time period. It is grief and trauma that occurs over several generations.
“There has been wave after wave of trauma brought upon many Indian people,” SAYS Patty Grant, a historical grief and trauma presenter.
“The diseases brought upon our people, the forbiddance of culture and language, the boarding schools – these were all major traumas that damaged huge groups of people,” she explains.
Once these traumas were inflicted, they created dysfunction inside many Indian communities. Now, generations after the trauma, the dysfunction inside some of the communities still exists.
It can get in the way of taking care of (yourself)
Historical grief and trauma can get in the way of taking care of (yourself.) … If people are affected by trauma, they may feel negative, or may not have energy to take care of themselves. A lot of times, the reasons for these negative feelings are not clear. “I have lived much of my life being self-destructive,” says one Muskogee (Creek) woman. “When I found out I had diabetes, I took care of myself for a while, then I stopped. I became self-destructive again. I suddenly stopped (following my diet,) and quit exercising. It was if I felt I had no worth.” Once off her diet she would eat even more than she wanted. “I just hated not being able to give myself what I wanted.” Her feelings of not wanting to ever be deprived might have come from a history of being deprived.
Understanding is the first step towards joy
Of course, some tribal communities and some families are not as affected by historical grief and trauma. It is not a condition that affects every tribe and every person. But for some people, the affects are real, and appear as unexplainable feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, and depression.
There have been alcoholism, emotional abuse, obesity, and (poor health in my family, says, Chenoa Gass, of the Eastern band of Cherokee Indians. “I’ve had a lot of anger and self-hate,” she says.
Chenoa is one of many tribal members who have attended workshops on historical grief and trauma. During the workshops, people learn more about the history of the American Indians. The workshop’s goal is to not point fingers oR place blame. The intent is not to give people an excuse for negative behavior and feelings. The goal is to understand reasons for negative behavior as a first step towards positive behavior.
Not just doom and gloom
People attending the workshops learn about the traumas their ancestors faced. They learn how these traumas not only caused grief, but damaged, or even destroyed healthy functional social systems.
But the workshops are not all about “doom and gloom.” They paint a beautiful picture of traditional Indian tribes…. “We had ways of handling problems. We had a contented, happy society.” For many, just seeing beautiful pictures of Indian individuals, families, and communities ... brings peace. It helps people redefine themselves as good and worthy. It provides a beautiful goal to strive for.
Understanding can change your life
Taking the first steps to look at historical grief and trauma can be hard. Some people may not feel a need to consider historical grief and trauma as a reason for any of their stressful feelings. Workshop presenters say that’s okay.
But, for people who think understanding this trauma may be the key to understanding some of their feelings and behaviors, attending a trauma workshop can be a huge life changing experience.
“When I first started learning about it, it was like a light came on inside of me. I began to understand my mother and the impact of boarding schools, poverty, and alcoholism. It was scary and unsettling to think about these things. But I felt a need to know. I felt like it was my responsibility to find reasons for my feelings,” says Patty.
Chenoa’s journey with understanding trauma began when she was a teenager. In high school she wondered why she was always scared. She worried why her father was often upset and guilt-ridden. In college, she found herself crying for no reason. She fely guilty about having the opportunity to go to college.
When Chenoa attended her first historical grief and trauma workshop, she was overwhelmed. She said, “It seemed huge. But, for the first time, I could understand and I felt hope. I knew I had taken my first step to healing.”
Feel the joy and pass it on
Almost everyone who attends a workshop does it for their children. People say they want to deal with their feelings of anger, fear, guilt, and depression, so they won’t pass them on to their children. They know they must be healthy in spirit, so they can teach their children ways to have jealthy spirits. People say dealing with trauma is not just about studying a sad past. It is a way to find joy.
Chenoa, who was recently married and is planning on having children, says, “I think I can change the course for my children’s lives. I want them to feel joy. I don’t think we can go back in time and change things. But, we can learn from it. In this way, we can right the wrongs.”