Indigenous Parenting

Wisdom from the Elders: kinship care that honors traditional Indigenous ways

“…Mental health problems arising from intergenerational trauma at times result in dysfunctional parent-child relationships. Childhood trauma has impacted parents’ ability to cope with stressors (Muir et al, 2019). In addition, racism and poverty continue to impact the ability of families to reconnect with, invest in, and reclaim their children and youth (de Finney & di Tomasso, 2015).…”

“…It is also important not to minimize the devastating impacts that intergenerational trauma continue to have on Indigenous families and communities, nor to underestimate the complexity involved in supporting communities to heal. Because of the abuse that occurred in residential schools and the lack of traditional role models, many survivors and their descendants lost the ability to use culture-based parenting skills and to engage in nurturing interactions with children that promote healthy connections (Muir et al, 2019). Mental health problems arising from intergenerational trauma at times result in dysfunctional parent-child relationships.…”

“…Indigenous communities have traditionally had an expansive view of relatedness that was based more on connectedness than on nuclear family ties (Gaudry, 2016; Lindstrom & Choate, 2022; Muir et al, 2019). Communal living meant child-rearing in Indigenous communities was typically shared in family groups, with children being parented by grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, and uncles (Anderson & Ball, 2020; Kikulwe & Mann-Johnson, 2018; Muir et al, 2019). Although children knew who their biological parents, siblings, and grandparents were, other members of the extended family could equally be considered a parent, sibling, or grandparent.…”

“…The goal of this study was to turn to the Elders to learn more about how child welfare organizations, policy-makers, and practitioners might do that. Knowledge about parenting, family wellness, and other aspects of Indigenous family and community life has historically been held by Elders and passed on orally to subsequent generations (Hare & Davidson, 2020; Muir et al, 2019). For this reason, Elders are especially well-poised to offer insight into traditional and current child-rearing practices.…”

A collaborative approach to develop indigenous specific parenting education

“…Culturally relevant courses for Indigenous peoples also offer an understanding of the trauma of colonization and can support in providing content that is relevant to Indigenous peoples. “Indigenous worldviews almost universally emphasize reverence for the spiritual, physical, emotional and mental connections with ancestors, future generations, nature and the interconnectedness of all things” (Muir et al, 2019, p. 178). These Indigenous specific worldviews are not met by Eurocentric based courses.…”