Taking Control of Native Healing

Native Americans have a long history of overcoming and adapting to the many traumas imposed on us by exploration, colonization, and assimilation. Tribal nations exist today as sovereigns because our ancestors established the inherent right to self-governance since time immemorial. Our culture is vibrant, and our visibility is growing with the presence of Native Americans in entertainment, as national political figures, and through the stature of tribal colleges and universities. The overall health and well-being of Native Americans are determined on our own accord.

As our presence continues to grow, we may sometimes be required to educate society on our culture, values, language, and self-determination. Unfortunately, for some Native Americans, we must retell past traumas or relive the effects of historical traumas. We do not have the luxury of leaving out the colonization and assimilation of our people when discussing our histories and cultures. Mainstream society is just now hearing about the atrocities of boarding schools and language loss while we address these issues daily.

We must assert our sovereignty over our forms of healing. Sovereign healing may be a new concept, but it is necessary to have equitable practices of maintaining our well-being determined by our needs. The approach of overcoming historical trauma through Native American culture is not new to us, but we now understand that intentional methods are more successful. We are coupling language and cultural lessons with healing practices. These methods reinforce our work on both fronts by taking ownership of these spaces and including youth, adults, and elders to positively impact our cultural learning and healing simultaneously.

I am encouraged by the tribal colleges and universities taking the lead in these areas for their nations. The College of the Muscogee Nation has been engaged with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation for several years and has developed a framework for a Mvskoke language revitalization plan. The plan is now in the initial stages of implementation, and a sense of cultural renaissance is beginning to move throughout the college and the tribal nation. In these spaces created for culture, the discussions that first identified the impacts of historical trauma are now transitioning to language and healing in everyday life. We honor our ancestors and continue the legacy of our people by carrying out these actions. We continue to adapt and take control of our destiny by reinforcing tribal sovereignty in the ways we heal our nations through our culture.

Omvlkvt vtutket Hesaketvmese ohmerrekvs! (May God bless everyone’s work!)