Connectedness and health for First Nation adoptees

Abstract

The present article describes the major findings from a doctoral study that explored the relationship among connectedness, health and adoption for First Nations children. Reports that focus on Aboriginal children in the care of public agencies emphasize the importance of the child remaining connected to family and community. The literature on adoption describes connectedness as an attribute of self that reflects our interpersonal relationship with the world. The objectives of the present study were to describe how connectedness relates to health for First Nations adoptees, and to explore legislative, policy and program implications in the adoption of First Nations children. The study was conducted using the western qualitative approach of in-depth interviewing with participants, accompanied by the indigenous method of talking circles with key informants. Grounded theory was the method of analysis. The findings of the study suggest that connection to birth family and community and ancestral knowledge are critical for First Nations adoptees.

Intergenerational knowledge transmission from aboriginal female elders to youth regarding preventative and self-care knowledge of urinary tract infections in Prince George, BC.

“…Regarding the loss of familial ties due to adoption, these participants' experiences were consistent with the literature that show many Aboriginal adoptees feel a disconnect and loss that influences their health (Carriere, 2005). Another reason for participants' loss of familial ties was due to relocation from their home community.…”

“…These effects on family structure not only come from the impacts of residential schools but also the historical mass removal of Aboriginal children from their families into non-Aboriginal homes, known as the Sixties Scoop (Blackstock et al, 2004;Carriere, 2005).…”

“…As many as eighty percent o f Aboriginal children were placed in non-Aboriginal homes and many Aboriginal children were not heard from again by their original families or not until adulthood (Carriere, 2005). Carriere (2005) found that Aboriginal adoptees felt a sense of loss towards their culture and that this disconnection was a factor influencing their health, creating a barrier for many in building community across generations.…”

“…Some o f the participants were adopted, or their parents were adopted through the historical government action o f the removal of Aboriginal children from their families (Blackstock et al, 2004;Carriere, 2005). The participants discussed the influences that it had on their ability to be immersed in their culture.…”

Witnessing Life Transitions with Ritual and Ceremony in Family Therapy: Three Examples from a Metis Therapist

“…In a therapeutic sense, this ritual can be considered an antidote to the kind of loss of self lamented in Reviving Ophelia (Pipher, 2005) as well as an antidote to the destruction of Indigenous family traditions and the banning of ceremonies through colonization (Anderson, 2000;Smith, 2005). This kind of strengthening also serves to counteract the racist experiences that harm the dignity and development of Metis children in Canada (Carriere, 2005;Richardson, 2004). There are a multitude of Indigenous rituals, such as the Berry Fast, the Moon Lodge, and the Sun Dance, that reinforce the important role of teenage girls in their community.…”