aboriginal — Page 2 — Recovery Stories

Indigenous Hip Hop Projects: Rockhole

January 10, 2014

I’m a boring old codger and have never been a great fan of hip hop. But I absolutely love this film clip, the song and the amazing project. This had me skipping around the house and I’m now a Hip Hop fan.

Please share this with all your friends. And ask them to do the same. It deserves to go viral and it would do great things for the Indigenous Hip Hop Project project and, ultimately, Aboriginal people!

‘Indigenous Hip Hop Projects was proud to partner with Wurli – Wurlinjang Health Service and Rockhole community to make this deadly health promotional music video.’

Fantastic stuff! Keep up the great work, IHHP. And well done Rockhole community. You are stars!!

Category: Blog Tags: aboriginal, australia, community, health promotion, hip hop, indigenous hip hop projects, music video, rockhole

Reflections on Healing: A Canadian Aboriginal Perspective

December 2, 2013

I’ve been reading a fascinating article from the Aboriginal Healing Foundation in Canada entitled Aboriginal Healing in Canada: Studies in Therapeutic Practice and Meaning. What of course is said in this article is relevant to recovery in the western world. Here are some interesting thoughts about healing:

‘The first thing that emerges from our work is that healing is a concept that is difficult to articulate, in part, because most [people participating in the research – DC] seem to feel that there is no need to articulate it and/or simply have never been asked to.

There is no dominant treatment paradigm at work here. Healing proved to be variable in meaning, often vague and fuzzy, and very idiosyncratic.

‘Telling our stories in ways that make us stronger’ by Barb Wingard

November 8, 2013

I had a number of pieces of content ready to go on the website, had even organised them in an order. But then I found this powerful piece on Stories. This is an extract from the book Telling our stories in ways that make us stronger by Barb Wingard and Jane Lester (Dulwich Centre Publications, 2001)

‘As Indigenous people of this country, we have faced so many losses due to past and present injustice. Grief’s presence has been with us for a long time. Now we are seeking ways of speaking about Grief that are consistent with our cultural ways of doing things.

We are remembering those who have died, we are honouring Indigenous spiritual ways, and we are finding ways of grieving that bring us together. We are telling our stories in ways that make us stronger.

Read More ➔

Category: Blog Tags: aboriginal, culture, funeral, grief, history, justice, silence, stories

‘Intergenerational Trauma & Healing, Parts 1-3’ by Joe Solanto

October 31, 2013

Yesterday, I posted a blog from Gabor Maté entitled Our Strange Indifference To Aboriginal Addiction. I highlighted the following about society’s – it’s not just Canada – response to the problems of addiction amongst Aboriginal people.

‘We seem to comfort ourselves with the belief that the endemic drug addiction and alcoholism are unfortunate realities for which we, as a society, bear no responsibility. From both scientific and historical perspectives, such a view is distorted and self-serving.’ Gabor Maté

I’ve heard many non-Aboriginal Australian people say in relation to Aboriginal people: “Why don’t they just get over it?” (Yeh, like non-Aboriginal people just get over diabetes, cancer or rape)

‘Our Strange Indifference To Aboriginal Addiction’ by Gabor Maté

October 30, 2013

Here’s an important blog from one of my favourite writers, Gabor Maté.

‘Marlene, a 46-year old native woman, sat in my office last week, slumped on her chair, blinking away her tears. I’d just shared the news that her most recent blood test confirmed she had “seroconverted” to HIV, become infected with the AIDS virus.

Although an injection drug user, Marlene had always been careful to use clean needles. Her route of infection was sexual contact – with the resigned naiveté characteristic of so many aboriginal women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, she had trusted a man, himself a drug addict, who assured her that he was a safe partner.

On Healing: Mary

October 5, 2013

‘You know, I don’t think most Murri people have idea about healing. A lot of people I know think healing is just going to the doctor and getting fixed up – getting some pills or something like that. Faith healers – religion – stuff like that.

Saddest thing is they don’t even realise that they’ve got all the coping mechanisms, and they’ve been healing themselves all these years. If it was pointed out to them, things would really start to happen. They would build on it, because they know things are wrong, but they just don’t know what to do about it.

What I’ve learnt is, healing is facing up to the fact that you’ve got choices, and there is no need to live your life in this pain. You can always get out of it.

On Healing: Lorna

October 1, 2013

‘The word healing – it means to me [that] I need to look at all my pain. Feel the pain and release it. Work with it, talk about it, and let it go, rather than hold on to it, locking it up inside myself.

I need a safe place where I can talk about my pain, all the pain that I have had in my life, my drinking in my marriage, my childhood, to to be able to sit and feel free enough to talk about it to get it out of me. I had it in me for so long, too long.

I believe that’s when the healing takes place, when I can feel well enough in myself to talk honestly about how I feel, what happened to me, what it was like for me. It is action healing. That it what I found for myself. It is action.

Read More ➔

Category: Blog Tags: aboriginal, action, healing, judy atkinson, pain, talking, trauma

The Role of Historical Trauma in Indigenous Mental Health and Addictions

September 26, 2013

In the past couple of months, I have become increasingly interested in historical trauma and the impact it has had on the health and well-being of Aboriginal people here in Australia, and in other indigenous groups around the world. I’ll be talking more about it in the coming months.

For now, I want to introduce you to the promotional trailer of the film ‘Sharing Tebwewin’.

“Sharing Tebwewin” (Sharing the Truth) is a 30-minute educational documentary designed to help health workers become more “culturally competent” in their work with First Nations people.

Marion’s Story: Introduction

September 17, 2013

Dr. Marion Kickett tells her Story, to help the reader understand her background and why she undertook her PhD research on resilience.

Marion’s Story: My Identity

September 17, 2013

Marion has a strong identity which has helped shape her into who she is today.

Marion’s Story: Conclusion

September 17, 2013

Marion’s family have faced adversities, risen above them, and taught Marion to be the resilient person she is today.

Surviving What?

September 16, 2013

Marion’s research findings provide insights into the following question: In what context do Aboriginal people need to be resilient?

Surviving What?: Experience of Being Taken Away

September 16, 2013

The taking of Aboriginal children from their families by the authorities still impacts on Aboriginal people today.

‘The Nature of Healing’ by Professor Helen Milroy

September 6, 2013

I have recently started collaborating with an Aboriginal lady here in Perth, Dr Marion Kickett, who is an Associate Professor at Curtin University. We’re very excited about the project we are developing, along with my close friend and filmmaker Mike Liu.

I have been fascinated reading about aboriginal history, culture, health, historical trauma – more of which I will talk about in later blogs – and many other things. During this time, I have become very interested in the concept of Aboriginal healing.

Yesterday, I was chatting with good friend Christina Burki about healing and she loaned me a fascinating book Traditional Healers of Central Australia: Ngangkari. In the Foreword, I found this delightful description of healing (I have altered the paragraphs):

Read More ➔

Category: Blog Tags: aboriginal, balance, generational, harmony, healing, journey, recovery, renewal

Strategies to Face Adversity: Inner Strength

September 5, 2013

A number of study participants spoke about their inner strength, or strong spirit, helping them overcome adversity.

Strategies to Face Adversity: Enduring

September 2, 2013

Aboriginal people have endured, tolerated or suffered past government policies and racism in society.

Strategies to Face Adversity: Thriving

September 1, 2013

Many of Marion’s study participants were thriving, living a successful life and doing far more than just surviving.

Strategies to Face Adversity: Humour

August 30, 2013

Humour for most participants was an important coping mechanism used to deal with the many adversities they had to face on a daily basis. It was also used to help deal with stressful and painful traumatic events suffered by some participants.

Strategies to Face Adversity: Letting Go, Forgiveness and Healing

August 29, 2013

Every participant spoke of the healing process and how before such a process can begin, they had to let go of negative emotions such as anger and hatred.

Indigenous Hip Hop Projects: Rockhole

Reflections on Healing: A Canadian Aboriginal Perspective

‘Telling our stories in ways that make us stronger’ by Barb Wingard

‘Our Strange Indifference To Aboriginal Addiction’ by Gabor Maté

On Healing: Mary

On Healing: Lorna

The Role of Historical Trauma in Indigenous Mental Health and Addictions

‘The Nature of Healing’ by Professor Helen Milroy

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