Indigenous Experiences of Reconnecting with Culture and Community

Friedland, Asher James

Indigenous Experiences of Reconnecting with Culture and Community

dc.contributor.advisor	Fellner, Karlee
dc.contributor.author	Friedland, Asher James
dc.contributor.committeemember	Fellner, Karlee
dc.contributor.committeemember	Domene, José
dc.contributor.committeemember	Simmons, Marlon
dc.date	2023-11
dc.date.accessioned	2023-09-26T21:05:08Z
dc.date.available	2023-09-26T21:05:08Z
dc.date.issued	2023-09-18
dc.description.abstract	Indigenous culture and community is interconnected to Indigenous relationality and essential to understanding an Indigenous worldview. Nevertheless, a history of colonialism marked by enduring acts of cultural dislocation, such as the trauma of residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, the Millennium Scoop, and various acts of legislation and relocation, has led to many Indigenous individuals being raised without connection to their Indigenous cultures or communities. This thesis utilizes an Indigenous Storywork methodology in conjunction with Research as Ceremony, Desire-based research, and a conversational approach to address a central question: How do Indigenous individuals raised without integrated connection to their cultures and communities experience reconnecting with their Indigenous cultures and communities? In relational collaboration with three storytellers who were separated from their Indigenous cultures and communities during their upbringing, this thesis places their stories of reconnection into relationship with each other and three additional publicly shared stories of Indigenous reconnection journeys. This relational approach yields profound insights into the unique experience of reconnection with four overarching themes: Displacement, Confusion, Longing, and Reconnection. These themes intricately detail the multifaceted experiences, obstacles, and strengths encountered on Indigenous reconnection journeys, providing the opportunity to listen, learn, and understand. This research carries potential implications for future research and practice concerning journey-informed work with Indigenous Peoples who have experienced separation from their cultures and communities, deepening understanding of the intricate relationalities and dynamics they may be navigating along their journeys of reconnection.
dc.identifier.citation	Friedland, A. J. (2023). Indigenous experiences of reconnecting with culture and community (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1880/117147
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Indigenous
dc.subject	Indigenous Storywork
dc.subject	Relationality
dc.subject	Culture
dc.subject	Community
dc.subject	Cultural Dislocation
dc.subject	Counselling Psychology
dc.subject	The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
dc.subject.classification	Educational Psychology
dc.title	Indigenous Experiences of Reconnecting with Culture and Community
dc.type	master thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Education Graduate Program – Educational Psychology
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Master of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.