Dissertation Defence: Indigenous Land-based Healing from the Effects of Criminalized and Institutionalized Trauma

Denica Bleau, supervised by Dr. Gabrielle Legault, will defend their dissertation titled “Indigenous Land-based Healing from the Effects of Criminalized and Institutionalized Trauma” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies – Indigenous Knowledges theme.

An abstract for Denica Bleau’s dissertation is included below.

Examinations are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person exams.

Abstract

The incarceration of Indigenous Peoples significantly affects interpersonal wellness and family and community collective wellness and care. Incarceration began during colonization, and has continued to mass incarcerate Indigenous people for the purposes of assimilation and control. Incarceration results in interpersonal and communal trauma, that has devastating interpersonal and intergenerational impacts. Land-based healing and healing on the Land is an antidote and therapeutic modality for healing trauma, including criminalized and institutionalized trauma. Guided by a Land, Story, and Land-based Story Methodology, this research worked with community members and Elders from Splatsin (Spelemtsin), located in Secwépemc Territory to build an Indigenous-led, community-created, Splatsin Land-based Healing Program (S-LBHP), designed for individuals who have experienced criminalized and/or institutionalized trauma. Subsequent to the development of the S-LBHP, this research engaged with two groups: Secwépemc youth from the Tsuts̓wey̓e group in Secwépemc Territory, and two Indigenous individuals who had been previously incarcerated, on the LBHP in order to make it more accessible for other communities, thus creating the Open-Access Land-based Healing Program (OA-LBHP). The research was guided by an Indigenous Community Advisory Committee, a committee comprising of Indigenous Knowledge Sharers, Elders, a youth advisor, and an Indigenous Native Court Worker. The OA-LBHP is intended to be shared with other Indigenous communities and organizations as a framework for confronting and healing trauma.