Is it important to heal from grief or inter generational trauma? Yes, I believe that is very important as those of us who are in recovery most likely have come from dysfunctional families and we have passed this dysfunction on to our children in some way or another. Our ancestors experienced trauma when they were forced to give up the way of life in chasing the buffalo and forced upon on the reservations. Their children were forced and even taken from them to attend the boarding schools where they could not speak their language or practice their culture/spirituality. Does this affect us today? Yes it does as many of us do not know our language or even our own traditions! SAD! Will this help us in our recovery journey? Yes, it will! It is sad as I have sat in Talking Circles listening to those brothers and sisters and young people sharing with a heavy heart how their lives seem to be filled with despair and misery. Often times it is due to their childhood traumas which they are still trying to deal with in their adult life which usually results in turning to alcohol and drugs to feel good or accepted.
I strongly believe that we are being asked by the Grandfathers and Grandmothers to begin the healing from the past trauma so our children and grandchildren will return to the spirituality that brings life and peace. As we see in this world today that the teaching we here is to look out for yourself and only yourself which is causing so much grief and it is beginning to show up in the random shootings and chaos that we here about everyday. For Native People, we are at the place on our journey where we must make a choice of to either continue being assimilated losing our identity or learning from other peoples but maintaining our own spirituality, traditions and culture and sharing it with other peoples. Many of our young people are looking towards us to show them and teach them about who they are!
I encourage everyone who works with Native Americans who struggle with alcohol or drug addictions or both to attend the Mending Broken Hearts workshop trainings that Wellbriety Training Institute of White Bison, Inc. puts on. We are hosting one of the trainings next month in Great Falls on February 21-23, 2012. To learn more about the training, please visit our web site at: www.sacred-circle-llc.com/upcoming-workshops-and-recovery-support-meetings/mending-broken-hearts-training/
A workshop that you will forever appreciate!
warriordown
