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Revival of Secwepemc Wellness Approaches for Healing Indigenous Child and Youth Experiences of Violence

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Revival of Secwepemc Wellness Approaches for Healing Indigenous Child and Youth Experiences of Violence Cu7 me7 q’wele’wu-kt. "Come on, let's go berry- picking". Revival of Secwepemc wellness approaches for healing Indigenous child and youth experiences of violence by Natalie Clark MSW, University of British Columbia, 1992 BSW, University of British Columbia, 1990 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Under Special Arrangements with Dean of Graduate Studies Department of Sociology and Anthropology Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences © Natalie Clark SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2018 Copyright in this work rests with the author. Please ensure that any reproduction or re-use is done in accordance with the relevant national copyright legislation. Approval Name: Natalie Clark Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Title: Cu7 me7 q’wele’wu-kt. "Come on, let's go berry- picking". Revival of Secwepemc wellness approaches for healing child and youth experiences of violence Examining Committee: Chair: Ed Park Associate Dean – Academics Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Olena Hankivsky Senior Supervisor Professor School of Public Policy Colleen Varcoe Supervisor Professor School of Nursing University of British Columbia Jo-Anne Lee Supervisor Associate Professor Gender Studies University of Victoria Marina Morrow Supervisor Professor School of Health Policy and Management York University Vicky Kelly Internal Examiner Associate Professor Faculty of Education Manulani Aluli-Meyer External Examiner Director of Indigenous Education Department of Education University of Hawai’i, West O’ahu Date Defended/Approved: January 18, 2018 ii Ethics Statement iii Abstract This dissertation is part of an intergenerational genealogy of Secwepemc and Indigenous feminist resistance to colonial violence and, more importantly, of the repudiation of state-sanctioned approaches through the construct of “trauma” and instead the avowal and resurgence of Secwepemc laws, practices, and processes. This thesis shares stories from my research with 11 multigenerational Secwepemc and Indigenous healers working with Secwepemc and Indigenous children and youth in Secwepemculecw, the land of the Secwepemc people. Through the methodological framework of Steseptekwle-Secwepemc storytelling, together with the theoretical framework of Red Intersectionality, these stories illuminate the ongoing resistance to colonial power, but also demonstrate the ways in which we are reinstating our Secwepemc child wellbeing and healing praxis through everyday acts of decolonial love, relationship and kinship. Along with the stories of the healers interviewed, this research co-constructs a birch bark basket of decolonial knowing rooted in Secwepemc teachings and practices. This basket also holds the theoretical framework of Red Intersectionality (Clark, 2012; Clark, 2016), an Indigenous feminist and holistic model that follows in the tireless tradition of Indigenous and Black feminist theorizing of love, rage, desire, resistance, and creative regeneration as the foundation from which to challenge violence against Indigenous children and youth. In doing so together, the stories reveal and amplify Indigenous agency while refusing the colonial gaze, which assumes and demands Indigenous people are in need of help or saving. Ultimately this dissertation functions to crack open the interstitial spaces of the colonial arteries of violence and the broken narratives of risk, and instead reveals the deeper practices of witnessing each other and our children in this work. Keywords: Secwepemc child and youth healing; Red Intersectionality; Indigenous feminism; Indigenous witnessing; trauma; violence; iv Dedication accountable to the not-yet-born who are waiting accountable to dreams accountable to you accountable to Elders accountable to truth-telling accountable to the little people accountable to ancient transformers accountable to this moment I dedicate this to Woodpecker who visited me often – finding her body, her feathers everywhere while doing this work I offer this poem Woodpecker is thrumming thrumming Her protection around me “remember to remember” “remember to remember” v Acknowledgements To my children Tyee, Cohen, and Seren and my nieces, nephews: I feel like it is you that have jumped over me four times to bring life, and restore, and revive, just like Fox did for Coyote. I have learned from you every day, your questions, your anger, and your love have inspired this work. I am grateful for the connection you have with your grandmothers and grandfathers and the ways that you can once again be raised up as researchers on the land. To the children, youth and families I have been honoured to walk with on their healing journey: I see you. I honour you. I witness your gifts, your brilliance and your creative acts of healing. I have learned more than I could ever share back. To my family: To my mom, Gwen Umphrey, who taught me about spirit, you always know where my lost things are, including the times I misplaced this thesis – thanks for your prayers. To my sisters, Emily Zinck who I dedicate this work to alongside my cousin Bobbi Umphrey, we are shining witnesses to one another; and to my sister Georgia Jules, we have walked through so much together and always with love, care, and healing. To Donna Jules, our talks taught me so much, you are my other-mother and I grateful. To Johnny Ben Jules, my other-father, every day you asked me “are you done yet” and I can finally say that I am. To my friends: I have been loved and encircled in an amazing group of friends who have witnessed me through more than this PhD –Wendy Weeber, Leslie Chesick, Ebony Vardal, I can’t name you all but I love you all, our friendship has been steadfast, and immutable. To my scholar activist sisters Sarah Hunt, our journey of friendship was born the day I saw you in those great shoes and striped socks, through master’s degrees, and now PhD’s. I could not have done this without you; Daphne Jeyapal, you will always be my reSister, embodied brilliance. To Rebecca Jules, we supported each other through this academic journey, and alongside this our friendship grew. To all of you: you are my garlic braids/ I am accountable to your ancestors and those not born/ I know we were planted long before/ Braided together by gentle hands/ Star people those waiting to be born/ We are tied gently in this life/ Woven with red/ Each one precious/ Together we are strong. vi To the Elders, knowledge keepers and my community advisory: Uncle Mike Arnouse, Flora Sampson, Minnie Kenoras, Janice Billy, Kathy Manuel, Garry Gottfriedson, Jeffrey McNeil-Seymour, Rebecca Jules, and so many more – you kept me grounded in Secwepemc values, language, and stories. Your knowing is the backbone of this work. I hope that I have done it justice. To my committee: What a powerful circle of women, woven into my life for the last ten years. Olena thank you for staying with me on this journey, for the scholarship, the challenge and the life advice I will always remember your teachings about love and balance in this work; Colleen for your responsive, engaged brilliance, Jo-Anne for your deep abiding respect for my work; Marina for your gentle, and sustained connection. To the Poets, Artists, Activists, Scholars: To Tania Willard you provided the beautiful design and art for this dissertation, working across messaging, Spirit and Secwepemc mothering – I am honoured by your brilliance. Alexis Pauline Gumbs I am forever grateful for the first day I met you and for every conversation, spirit, ceremony I participate in with you. You are woven throughout this thesis, I cannot imagine my words without your voice, your writing. To my love: Sam you are the one I was waiting for. Our story is longer and deeper and richer than this dissertation and for that I am grateful. I first wrote poems to you over 25 years ago. This thesis contains love, and rage, and desire – and my poems. Thank you my forever muse, and true partner. To Secwepemculecw: welme7yews, welme7yews vii Table of Contents Approval ............................................................................................................................ ii Ethics Statement ...............................................................................................................iii Abstract ............................................................................................................................ iv Dedication ......................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ viii Glossary of General Secwepemc Terms ......................................................................... xi Preface/Executive Summary/Image ................................................................................ xiii Chapter 1. Stemi7ne xqwlewmen: What is in your basket? Secwepemc wellness approaches to addressing Indigenous children and youth experiences of Xena7elltse ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 1.1.1. A note on writing style: If I could write with water ............................................ 8 1.2. Self-in Relation: my
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