The Wet’suwet’en Nation’s Mobilization of Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Indigenous mental health research is beginning to address colonization, however, Indigenous approaches to wellness have largely been overlooked. There is a paucity of research exploring psychological trauma interventions with Indigenous peoples. The Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs recognize the profound impacts of historical trauma among their people and are utilizing Indigenous focusing oriented therapy (IFOT), a trauma model that is collective, land-based, and intergenerational, as a part of their wellness framework. This collaborative research study explored the question: How is IFOT shaped by Wet’suwet’en ways of knowing and mobilized by individuals, families, house groups, and the Nation? Wet’suwet’en IFOT practitioners participated in sharing circles for data collection and interpretation. The exploratory findings revealed that the strategic application of IFOT by Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs created a culturally relevant model for land-based healing wherein Wet’suwet’en people were able to experience greater connection with their own yintah (land) and c’idede’ (history).

Potential and Pitfalls: Settler Scholar Engagement in Indigenous Research

“…The exploratory findings revealed that the strategic application of IFOT by Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs created a culturally relevant model for land-based healing wherein Wet’suwet’en people were able to experience greater connection with their own yintah (land) and c’idede’ (stories from long ago). Our research was shared in an article that I coauthored with all participants and the Advisory Circle (Panofsky et al, 2022). In the following reflections, I work with the Storywork principles, the voices of participants in our study, and my own experiences.…”