10 minute read
A Decolonized Approach to Clinical Social Work
By Michelle Peters, BBA, MSW, RSW, PHD. ED student
Introduction
I am a Mi’kmaw woman and clinical therapist from Pictou Landing First Nation. For the past 12 years, I have been providing counselling and crisis level supports in Mi’kma’ki. I have worked across the entire spectrum of clinical providers including volunteer, not-for-profit, provincial, federal, and now through private practice. Over the course of my career, I have both experienced, and observed, that social workers feel unprepared for clinical work with Indigenous clients/ communities after graduation from university.
When social workers lack awareness of the magnitude of historical trauma, oppression and racism on Indigenous peoples, they will not have the knowledge and tools needed to properly support Indigenous clients in a healthy way; this can result in harming clients and further eroding the trust and respect social workers wish to build with Indigenous communities. Social workers are also at risk of developing dissatisfaction and occupational stress or burnout due to being unable to carry out their ethical duties to promote social justice, support and protect those under their care.
From my own experience as a clinical social worker, educator and consultant, what is needed to better prepare social workers for clinical work in Mi’kma’ki are centred around four foundational pillars:
decolonized education and rich cultural learning opportunities;
holistic practice that values Indigenous knowledge, culture, language, land-based teachings, and ceremony;
a solid understanding of historical/intergenerational trauma and resiliency from the Indigenous ways of knowing and being; and
building trust and relationships with the community.
Although I share my own observations here, it is important to note that nobody can claim ownership of Indigenous Knowledge (IK), for our ways of knowing and being have been passed down to us for generations by our ancestors. Furthermore, there are many teachings, and many teachers; there is no single way to think about or do things the L’nu (Indigenous) way. What proceeds below is my own personal learning journey to decolonizing and Indigenizing my worldview and professional practice.
A final note to keep in mind is that Indigenous people are also in the process of unlearning forced colonial ways and reclaiming our beautiful IK. We deserve whatever time is needed and the space to grow and reconnect without interference and further impositions as we engage in this healing.
REASONS & RESPONSIBILITIES
Social workers have ethical and principled reasons for decolonizing their worldview and professional practice. I first mention the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), which was a Commission formed in 2008 under the Indian Residential School (IRS) Settlement Agreement. Over a period of six years, the Commission travelled across Canada, hearing from over 6,000 witnesses, most being IRS Survivors and their descendants, about their experiences at IRS institutions.
Out of this inquiry, the Commission put forth a list of recommendations which are considered necessary for reconciliation in Canada with Indigenous peoples and are referred to The 94 Calls to Action (CTAs). These actionable policy recommendations are meant to aid in healing trauma by acknowledging the truthful history of residential schools in Canada, and to prevent these abuses from ever happening again in the future (reconciliation education).
The CTAs give recommendations in the areas such as child welfare, education, language and culture, health and justice and more, all of which social workers should be concerned with in their professional practice. Clearly, the TRC and CTAs are critical documents and should guide the work of social work practice in Canada. Additionally, social workers are bounded to professional standards of practice, core values, principles, along with high standards of ethics (Canadian Association of Social Workers, Nova Scotia College of Social Workers).
THE NEED FOR DECOLONIZED EDUCATION & ON-GOING CULTURAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Social work programs in universities are trying to play catch up with the ever-diversifying populations growing here in Canada. However, there is no other group of peoples that have been more oppressed and harmed in this country than Indigenous peoples. Acknowledging how social work has contributed to on-going colonial violence, oppression and the brutal harms experienced by our people should create a sense of urgency to decolonize all social work education and practice, with a special and separate focus on Indigenizing this profession. Indigenizing social work education and practice should not be optional; it needs to be made mandatory in education and in practice. This honours the TRCs CTAs in the areas of health, justice, Indigenous rights and education.
According to Sheila Cote-Meek (2014), colonialism is conceptualized by four dimensions – it concerns the land, it is sustained by a structure (power and privilege) of ideology about colonized people in order to proceed, it is violent, and it is on-going. It has only been to the benefit of the colonizer and those with power and privilege to disposses Indigenous people; which led to the exploitation of the land and its rich resources across Turtle Island. Colonial violence still continues to be deeply experienced by Indigenous Peoples physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritially. The narrative has always been that Indigenous people are better off assimilated, which makes the oppression, abuse and colonial violence used to accomplish this goal extremely violent and on-going.
Article 31 of the United Nations Declaration states the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge… and oral traditions. Yet, IK has largely been omitted, ignored, or misrepresented (Battiste, 2016) in all levels of education and Eurocentric knowledge has been pushed forward to the exclusion of other forms of knowledge resulting in what Dr. Battiste refers to as a state of cognitive imperialism.
Therefore, social workers in clinical work or other, should seek out and accept opportunities granted to them by Indigenous communities, Knowledge Keepers, Elders, and any other learning opportunities in hopes of acquiring a Two-Eyed Seeing perspective (Marshall, 2017); the ability to see and value both the Indigenous and Western worldviews.
HOLISTIC PRACTICE – PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL & SPIRITUAL
The interconnectedness of the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual self has been deeply woven into the worldview of Indigenous peoples through story sharing and teachings since childhood. Clinical work cannot overlook the importance of being holistic in its approach. Indigenous theories of trauma push far past the limits of Western frameworks, and the result is a decolonized and Indigenized way of knowing and doing clinical practice. Therapy then becomes a form of ceremony, trauma being a soul wound, and the healing through therapy is the process of soul retrieval (Duran, 2019). Soul retrieval reconnects the client to who they truly are as an Indigenous person, and the client gains a holistic and spiritual/energetic understanding of trauma and healing. The client can then take responsibility for their healing work with the guidance and support of the therapist.
Clinical social workers don’t need to be Indigenous Knowledge Keepers to do this work, but they do need to have a foundational understanding of this worldview and support clients in their own efforts to learn and approach their wellbeing in this way without appropriating Indigenous culture, ceremonies, or knowledge in any way. It is wise then to consult Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers to guide your work with Indigenous clients and communities.
UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA & RESILIENCY FROM THE INDIGENOUS WORLDVIEW
Clinical social workers need to have a solid understanding of historical/intergenerational trauma, colonialism and racism, and the impact these have on communities. Through this lens, we are better able to understand violence, addiction, mental health, suicide, poverty etc. as a product of colonialism (Bombay, 2014) rather than seeing Indigenous peoples as lesser than, less deserving, or deviant. Indigenous peoples enjoyed thousands of years on Turtle Island in good health and as responsible stewards of the lands and waters prior to colonialism. Settlers’ perception of Indigenous peoples was twisted by self-interest; cultural genocide was justified on these lands for over 500 years through false claims that Indigenous peoples were lawless and had innately savage natures (Paul, 2006) and persistent refusal to recognize Indigenous systems of governance.
Indigenous people are so much more than our trauma, and despite all the efforts of the Church and State, we are still here and have risen from the ashes to reclaim our culture, languages, ceremonies, traditions and teachings. Clinical social work must acknowledge both the trauma and the resiliency of Indigenous peoples; support and uplift the client/ communities’ strengths and gifts; and stand in solidarity against all forms of racism, oppression and colonialism.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS & TRUST
Indigenous or not, all social workers doing work with Indigenous clients and communities must work hard to build genuine relationships and trust with the clients and communities they serve. We must understand how colonialism, oppression and racism is still deeply ingrained in worldviews, policies and institutions. Being reflective, honest and willing to challenge ourselves in this work will open the door to learning in the spirit of cultural humility.
Being present at community events and in times of need is one way to accomplish this. Being open to conversation and getting to know the community are equally important. Of course, judgement needs to be put away; everyone knows when we are being superficial, and it won’t be forgotten if this is the case.
Conclusion
Clinical social work with Indigenous peoples in Mi’kma’ki must be decolonized and Indigenized in its approach. Here I have identified four foundational pillars for doing this work – decolonizing education and seeking out culturally enriched learning, holistic practice, understanding trauma and resiliency from the Indigenous worldview, and building relationships and trust. Although very simplified here due to writing constraints, I identify what has been most helpful in my own professional practice as an Indigenous practitioner, educator and consultant. My intention as a Ph.D. student is to research more specifically how Indigenous ways of knowing and being can inform clinical practice here in Mi’kma’ki.
