Spiritual Reclamation/Ceremony: Healing from Intergenerational Trauma

Indigenous spirituality is not an abstract construct – it is embodied and personal. Spiritual practices are based on an understanding that transformation is central to health and well-being, and that the natural world provides the lessons that lead us to change. Stories of land are stories of connection, which leads us to know what it means to be “in relation.” As such, Indigenous spirituality is a prescription for the malaise of colonialism and a how-to manual for the process of reconciliation and decolonization.

Drawing on trauma theory, epistemology, and education for social justice, Suzanne Methot's lecture describes how Indigenous spirituality moves us from woundedness to interrelatedness – and how that process becomes a healing story. The Cartesian emphasis on thinking leads us to an individual, alone with their thoughts. Living a spiritual life requires us to look outward, to the world and our place within it. Canada needs a healing story.

Suzanne Methot is a Nêhiyaw (Cree) writer, editor, educator and community worker born in Vancouver, British Columbia and raised in Peace River, Alberta. Her work has been published in anthologies including Steal My Rage and Let the Drums Be Your Heart. She has worked in the non-profit sector, in the classroom, and in advocacy and direct-service positions in Indigenous community-based agencies. She is co-author of the textbook Aboriginal Beliefs, Values, and Aspirations. Her most recent book is titled Legacy: Trauma, Story, and Indigenous Healing (ECW Press, 2019).

This event is part of the Spirituality as Land, Story and Relation series presented by the Department of Theological Studies with the support of the Faculty of Arts and Science. Visit the series page to view the full line-up of speakers for Fall 2020.