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29 pages, 2320 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Generational and Ancestral Healing in Community: Urban Atabex Herstory

by Katheryn Crawford, Esperanza Martell, Mustafa Sullivan and Jessie Ngok

Genealogy 2021, 5(2), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5020047 - 8 May 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4211

Abstract

When we take the time to face internalized oppression, anything we want becomes possible. Urban Atabex Organizing and Healing in Community Network invites organizers and agents of change to be in community, to heal from internalized oppression, and to create another world that [...] Read more.

When we take the time to face internalized oppression, anything we want becomes possible. Urban Atabex Organizing and Healing in Community Network invites organizers and agents of change to be in community, to heal from internalized oppression, and to create another world that we know is possible, for ourselves, family, community, and the world. Through community healing circles and liberation workshops, this work is dedicated to ending violence against women of color and fighting to end the triple threat of patriarchy, white supremacy, and capitalism. The emotional release model is a framework and set of practices for self-healing from internalized oppression and liberation, by centering indigenous earth-based spirituality, Paulo Freire’s methodology, and spirit guided energy work. This orientation to healing creates transformative possibilities and opportunities for intentional community care. Over the past ten years, the workshops and trainings have expanded the collective to include men of color, queer and trans people, and people of European descent in the fight for our liberation. This work has created the possibility of peace and justice in our lifetime. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

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27 pages, 303 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Critical Yoga Studies Approach to Grappling with Race: Introducing “Racial Tourism,” “Racial Mobilities,” and “Justice Storytelling” in the Context of Racial Fraud in the Academy

by Roopa Bala Singh

Genealogy 2021, 5(2), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5020044 - 25 Apr 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3213

Abstract

In this Critical Yoga Studies (CYS) examination, I introduce terms, “racial tourism,” and “racial mobility,” and a method, “justice storytelling.” These terms and this method are poised to be used strategically in the quest to grapple with race and racial fraud in the [...] Read more.

In this Critical Yoga Studies (CYS) examination, I introduce terms, “racial tourism,” and “racial mobility,” and a method, “justice storytelling.” These terms and this method are poised to be used strategically in the quest to grapple with race and racial fraud in the academy. Racial fraud in the academy is exemplified by, but not limited to, infamous scholars such as Rachel Dolezal, Jessica Krug, Andrea Smith, Elizabeth Warren, and BethAnn McLaughlin. The terms “racial mobility” and “racial tourism,” intentionally create space in which to notice and assess racial fraud. In establishing CYS, I aim to provide epistemic space in which pause the cycle of harm (ie. instigated by exposure to racial fraud in the academy) and reaction (outrage, condemnation) and make space to notice, witness, and be (“this is happening”). The terms, method, and guiding questions offered in this study create epistemic space to notice race, to continue to be despite racism, and assess the ongoing project of racial categorizations in order to quell disorientation that results from harm. I add these terms to the basket of more highly circulating terms (such as “cultural appropriation,” and “identity fraud”) used to describe and respond to: (1) the specific phenomenon of white scholars engaging in racial fraud, and (2) the broader experience of living with and within inseparable systems of race, racial categorizations, and racism in the ivory tower. CYS is grounded in legal scholarship and critical race theory. I build on “legal storytelling” in an experimental, poetic form I call, “justice storytelling,” which enables healing. I find the terms I introduce, “racial tourism” and “racial mobility,” reveal a state of movement at the essence of the racial takings and accumulation of racial value enacted by white scholars committed to racial appropriation and fraudulently coding as Black, brown, and Indigenous in the academy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

16 pages, 659 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“More Training Is Not the Answer for Survivors”: A Healing Justice Framework for Women of Color Survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Leadership

by Dayanara Marte

Genealogy 2021, 5(2), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5020036 - 6 Apr 2021

Viewed by 4055

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global issue that is particularly prevalent among women of color. Many providers in GBV-based organizations are also survivors of GBV, which affects the way these providers lead social service and social justice organizations. Yet, many institutions at the [...] Read more.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global issue that is particularly prevalent among women of color. Many providers in GBV-based organizations are also survivors of GBV, which affects the way these providers lead social service and social justice organizations. Yet, many institutions at the intersections of GBV fail to address the impact that GBV has on the mind, body, and spirit of the women who work there. Using historical trauma as a lens, this qualitative study incorporates semi-structured interviews with women of color in leadership to explore the various ways trauma manifests itself among survivors of GBV. Thematic analysis with 10 women of color survivors of GBV in leadership revealed four ways trauma manifests itself, how it impacts the women who have experienced it, and survivors’ need for personal and organizational healing. In addition, a conceptualization of a healing justice model that these findings inform is presented. This article has implications for GBV survivors working on the frontlines of GBV-based organizations along with implications for how the organization can facilitate healing among employees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

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15 pages, 216 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reclaiming Emotions: Re-Unlearning and Re-Learning Discourses of Healing in a Tribally Placed Doctoral Cohort

by Robin Zape-tah-hol-ah Minthorn, Michelle Montgomery and Denise Bill

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010024 - 17 Mar 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2815

Abstract

This article is a “talk story” among three Indigenous women who are connected in various ways but most recently through the heartwork of a tribal–university partnership for a tribally based doctoral cohort program. The first tribally based cohort includes representation of tribal nations [...] Read more.

This article is a “talk story” among three Indigenous women who are connected in various ways but most recently through the heartwork of a tribal–university partnership for a tribally based doctoral cohort program. The first tribally based cohort includes representation of tribal nations from Washington State, Utah and New Mexico and all women. The contributors of this talk story include voices of a Muckleshoot partner who is an Indigenous education advocate and two Indigenous faculty members. We share our talk story in identifying the powerful connection of reclaiming emotions through the ability of centering Indigenous narratives, honoring culture and community, and the powerful role of place and space in honoring tribal sovereignty through its existence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

18 pages, 291 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“Somebody Bigger than You and I”: The African American Healing Traditions of Camp Minisink

by Robyn Brown-Manning, Sharon Lockhart-Carter and Avon T. Morgan

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010019 - 8 Mar 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3403

Abstract

Four hundred years after the first enslaved Africans landed on the shores of Jamestown, Virginia, it can be difficult to recognize the myriad ways in which the traditional healing processes of the Motherland are embedded in the day-to-day lives of African Americans. Much [...] Read more.

Four hundred years after the first enslaved Africans landed on the shores of Jamestown, Virginia, it can be difficult to recognize the myriad ways in which the traditional healing processes of the Motherland are embedded in the day-to-day lives of African Americans. Much of what has sustained us through the insidiousness of systemic racism is sourced from the traditions of our ancestors: our faith; our creativity; our sense of community; our respect for elders; our food; and our connection to the natural environment. Employing a narrative form of inquiry, the authors dialogue and reflect on our histories at Camp Minisink, a premier African American camp servicing Black youth from New York City. We use our personal experiences as “Minisinkers” in the 1950s and 1960s, to unearth patterns of Africentric healing traditions embedded in our camp activities. The “MinisinkModel”, unbeknownst to the thousands of children who grew up through the various camp programs, provided a multitude of safety and protective factors informed by these healing practices. The foremothers and forefathers of Minisink instilled in us the belief in a higher power; unconditional love; service; and family that continue to sustain us in our adult lives. This model holds promise for present-day organizations that are struggling to identify meaningful ways of working with African American families, youth and children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

23 pages, 12929 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How We Heal: Genealogical Narratives of Healing among San Lázaro Devotees

by Elaine Penagos

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010018 - 28 Feb 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3279

Abstract

Healing is the basis of belief in San Lázaro, a popular saint among Cubans, Cuban-Americans, and other Latinx peoples. Stories about healing, received through faith in San Lázaro, are typically passed on through family members, rendering them genealogical narratives of healing. In this [...] Read more.

Healing is the basis of belief in San Lázaro, a popular saint among Cubans, Cuban-Americans, and other Latinx peoples. Stories about healing, received through faith in San Lázaro, are typically passed on through family members, rendering them genealogical narratives of healing. In this photo essay, the author draws on her maternal grandmother’s devotion to San Lázaro and explores how other devotees of this saint create genealogical narratives of healing that are passed down from generation to generation. These genealogical narratives of healing function as testaments to the efficaciousness of San Lázaro’s healing abilities and act as familial avenues through which younger generations inherit belief in the saint. Using interview excerpts and ethnographic observations conducted at Rincón de San Lázaro church in Hialeah, Florida, the author locates registers of lo cotidiano, the everyday practices of the mundane required for daily functions and survival, and employs arts-based methods such as photography, narrative inquiry, and thematic poetic coding to show how the stories that believers tell about San Lázaro, and their experiences of healing through faith in the saint, constitute both genealogical narratives of healing and genealogical healing narratives where testimonies become a type of narrative medicine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

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14 pages, 856 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Talks with My Ancestors

by Rachelle Péan

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010014 - 2 Feb 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3812

Abstract

In this paper, I will present a reflection on my journey of decolonizing my relationship to holding space for healing trauma, and co-creating communities around wellness. I start with the specific way that I was trained in U.S.-based social work mental health practices [...] Read more.

In this paper, I will present a reflection on my journey of decolonizing my relationship to holding space for healing trauma, and co-creating communities around wellness. I start with the specific way that I was trained in U.S.-based social work mental health practices and end with the insight I gained through the co-creation of a wellness studio for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). My story will begin with what I began to unlearn and the ancestral wisdom and technologies that I tapped into to transform my approach to healing-in-community. As a healer of mixed race (Black-Caribbean; Haitian and white), I explore the depth and breadth of my healing work as I connect to ancestral knowledge through my relationship to my lineage. This occurred after unlearning much of what was taught to me in my master of social work program, so that I could remember ways of co-creating safety, connection, and community that do not reinforce patterns of colonization. I will use my experience co-creating a safe and sacred physical space: a wellness studio in the South End of Albany centered around BIPOC, as a case study illuminating how centering BIPOC in the creation of spaces for BIPOC creates safety, connection, and community. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

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13 pages, 314 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Possibilities and Challenges in Providing Psychotherapeutic Interventions to Meet the Needs of the Latinx Population in the United States

by Yaneth Lombana

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010012 - 28 Jan 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4041

Abstract

The mental health system in the United States faces challenges in adequately engaging the Latinx population with modalities that conform to the Latinx worldview, which demands incorporating holistic, family-centric, and trauma-informed models of treatment. Service provision and innovation is hampered by lack of [...] Read more.

The mental health system in the United States faces challenges in adequately engaging the Latinx population with modalities that conform to the Latinx worldview, which demands incorporating holistic, family-centric, and trauma-informed models of treatment. Service provision and innovation is hampered by lack of research focusing on this population, the low numbers of Latinx clinicians available, and the lack of treatment adaptations to meet their needs. Psychotherapeutic interventions employed in the Latin American context are potentially useful when working with acculturating Latinx. In this article attention is given to barriers and facilitators for incorporating Family constellation therapy—a holistic trauma-informed treatment modality that offers conflict resolution through connection with ancestry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

29 pages, 34133 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Defining the Flow—Using an Intersectional Scientific Methodology to Construct a VanguardSTEM Hyperspace

by Jedidah C. Isler, Natasha V. Berryman, Anicca Harriot, Chrystelle L. Vilfranc, Léolène J. Carrington and Danielle N. Lee

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010008 - 21 Jan 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 18422

Abstract

#VanguardSTEM is an online community and platform that centers the experiences of women, girls, and non-binary people of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. We publish original and curated content, using cultural production, to include a multiplicity of identities as [...] Read more.

#VanguardSTEM is an online community and platform that centers the experiences of women, girls, and non-binary people of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. We publish original and curated content, using cultural production, to include a multiplicity of identities as worthy of recognition and thus redefine STEM identity and belonging. #VanguardSTEM is rooted firmly in Queer, Black feminisms which delineate that the experiences and critiques of Black women matter and that these insights can foster a restorative and regenerative construction of the cultures in which we exist. In describing how #VanguardSTEM descended from counterspaces, we draw on speculative fiction to define a #VanguardSTEM hyperspace as a fluid “place-time” that is born digital and enabled by social media, but materializes in the physical world for specific purposes. As Black women in STEM, we consider how our situated knowledges and scientific expertise inform our process. We propose an intersectional scientific methodology to address the influence of embodied observation, embedded context and collective impact on scientific inquiry. Through #VanguardSTEM, we assert, without apology, the right of Black, Indigenous, women of color and non-binary people of color to self-advocate by fully representing ourselves and our STEM identities and interests, without assimilation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

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13 pages, 1418 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Unapologetically Indigenous: Understanding the Doctoral Process through Self-Reflexivity

by Chris A. Nelson

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010007 - 15 Jan 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3909

Abstract

As a K’awaika & Diné, I revisit my writings to answer a life-informing question, as opposed to just a research question, of how relationships inform and disrupt my meaning-making of being unapologetically Indigenous in the academy. To answer this question, I offer a [...] Read more.

As a K’awaika & Diné, I revisit my writings to answer a life-informing question, as opposed to just a research question, of how relationships inform and disrupt my meaning-making of being unapologetically Indigenous in the academy. To answer this question, I offer a series of personal stories and relatives to reconnect to what it means to navigate the doctoral process. Through relationality as a methodology, I connect two sets of stories to disrupt the linear and forward-moving underpinnings of the doctoral process. I connect stories to highlight three dimensions, i.e., authenticity, vulnerability, and intentionality, to develop what it means to be unapologetically Indigenous in the academy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

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13 pages, 252 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Colorism on the Hair Experiences of African American Female Adolescents

by Lakindra Mitchell Dove

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010005 - 14 Jan 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 9842

Abstract

This article addresses the prevalence of colorism among the hair care narratives of African American female adolescents. Eleven interviews were conducted to explore the connection between hair and sense of self and self-esteem. During data collection and analysis, the theme surrounding colorism emerged, [...] Read more.

This article addresses the prevalence of colorism among the hair care narratives of African American female adolescents. Eleven interviews were conducted to explore the connection between hair and sense of self and self-esteem. During data collection and analysis, the theme surrounding colorism emerged, as many participants discussed its influence on hair, recalling traumatic hair and colorist experiences. This article focuses on the analysis of these narratives using the colorist-historical trauma framework. Three themes emerged: (1) colorist experiences; (2) perceptions of good hair; and (3) the influence of White beauty standards. These themes reflect how participants conceptualized the implications of colorism and its impact on their psychosocial and emotional well-being. The article highlights how colorism is embedded in their lived experiences and how participants combated the presence of colorism perpetuated by family, peers, and society, to embrace their identities. The article outlines the implications of collective efforts to decolonize hair and promote healing and liberation through actions such as the natural hair movement, legal efforts to protect hairstyle preferences in schools and the workplace, and overall awareness of the perception of Black women in media. It also discusses shifts in attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs regarding hair among younger generations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

18 pages, 1624 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Healing Lives in Community: The Integrated Transformative Potential Intervention Development (InTrePID) Method

by Alexis Jemal

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010004 - 1 Jan 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3157

Abstract

This conceptual paper introduces the Integrated Transformative Potential Intervention Development (InTrePID) Method. InTrePID is a method that social problem solvers can use to develop interventions (practices, programs, policies, culture) that translate the critical transformative potential development framework into concrete practice steps: (1) dialogue, [...] Read more.

This conceptual paper introduces the Integrated Transformative Potential Intervention Development (InTrePID) Method. InTrePID is a method that social problem solvers can use to develop interventions (practices, programs, policies, culture) that translate the critical transformative potential development framework into concrete practice steps: (1) dialogue, (2) critical participatory action research initiatives, (3) skill building, and (4) critical action project implementation. The purpose of the InTrePID method is to develop each prong of the Critical Transformative Potential Development Framework: consciousness (awareness), accountability/responsibility, efficacy (ability), and action. The framework is theorized to bridge the gap between critical consciousness and critical action needed to transform and address dehumanizing realities that harm the self, relationships, and the community. In essence, InTrePID should generate a cyclical process for participants to increase awareness of individual and systemic factors that perpetuate interpersonal and community violence; take responsibility for (in)actions that perpetuate dehumanization and accountability for implementing solutions; develop efficacy in individual and collective community/cultural organizing skills; and, practice solution-oriented multi-level action. The paper highlights the work of a community-based project as an example of one way to implement the method to support community members in healing from the harm of dehumanization by addressing the violence of living in a dehumanizing society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

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17 pages, 299 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“Love and Prayer Sustain Our Work” Building Collective Power, Health, and Healing as the Community Health Board Coalition

by Damarys Espinoza and Robin Narruhn

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010003 - 29 Dec 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3204

Abstract

Over the course of the last few months, we have seen how structural racism has compounded the impact of COVID-19 on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the United States, resulting in disparate rates of infection and death. The COVID-19 pandemic [...] Read more.

Over the course of the last few months, we have seen how structural racism has compounded the impact of COVID-19 on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the United States, resulting in disparate rates of infection and death. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed how the consequences of deeply entrenched inequities are fatal to BIPOC communities, whether death is a result of the novel coronavirus or the everyday violence of structural racism that manifests as poor health outcomes. We examine the formation of the Community Health Board Coalition (CHBC), a BIPOC-led organization in Washington state, to show how 15 communities have organized for health and healing amidst the collective trauma associated with COVID-19. We note that biopower—literally power over life, the unspeakable—and slow violence have been normalized and escalated in our communities. The use of an antiracist lens and decolonial practices have assisted us in our survivance (survival and resistance). We use autoethnography and testimonio as decolonial theory and method to give voice to individual and collective experiences that brought us to our roles as CHBC founding members and inaugural cochairs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

20 pages, 353 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Healing through Ancestral Knowledge and Letters to Our Children: Mothering Infants during a Global Pandemic

by Miriam G. Valdovinos, Noralis Rodríguez-Coss and Rupal Parekh

Genealogy 2020, 4(4), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy4040119 - 21 Dec 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5611

Abstract

The struggle for work–life balance amongst women in academia who are both mothers and scholars continues to be apparent during a global pandemic highlighting the systemic fissures and social inequalities ingrained in our society, including systems of higher learning. Women of color professors [...] Read more.

The struggle for work–life balance amongst women in academia who are both mothers and scholars continues to be apparent during a global pandemic highlighting the systemic fissures and social inequalities ingrained in our society, including systems of higher learning. Women of color professors on the tenure track are vulnerable to the intersecting ways capitalism, sexism, and racism exacerbate the challenges faced by motherscholars, making it imperative to explore these nuances. While motherscholars may share advice about navigating family leave policies or strategizing scholarship goals, no one could have prepared us for our motherscholar roles during a pandemic. We were, in some ways, unprepared for giving birth with a heightened level of social isolation and feelings of loneliness, while racial unrest and loud exigencies to protect the lives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) persist. Through three testimonios, we explore how ancestral/indigenous knowledge provides us with ways to persist, transform, and heal during these moments. We share letters written to each of our babies to encapsulate our praxis with ancestral knowledge on mothering. We reflect on matriarchal elders, constricted movement in our daily routines, and ongoing worries and hopes. We theorize this knowledge to offer solidarity with a motherscholar epistemology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

24 pages, 13954 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“Then Who Are You?”: Young American Indian and Alaska Native Women Navigating Cultural Connectedness in Dating and Relationships

by Katie Schultz and Emma Noyes

Genealogy 2020, 4(4), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy4040117 - 18 Dec 2020

Viewed by 5981

Abstract

Despite disproportionately high rates of intimate partner violence among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women and associations between adolescent dating violence and partner violence in adulthood, little to no research has focused on dating and relationships among AI/AN adolescents. Using exploratory thematic [...] Read more.

Despite disproportionately high rates of intimate partner violence among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women and associations between adolescent dating violence and partner violence in adulthood, little to no research has focused on dating and relationships among AI/AN adolescents. Using exploratory thematic analysis with focus group data (N = 16), we explore this topic among a sample of young AI/AN women (ages 15–17). Results suggest that dating may enhance or inhibit connections to culture or tribal identity. Moreover, responsibility for sustaining cultural knowledge, practices, and lineage may influence choices of reproductive partners for Native women living within colonial structures of governance. The greatest threat in relationships were similar to those from settler colonialism—loss of culture and consequently, self. Promoting healthy relationships among this population should include cultural safety, identity, and involvement, as well as a focus on broader systems, including enrollment policies, that may influence these relationships. Supportive networks and mentorship related to identity and cultural involvement should be available for young AI/AN women. In response to this Special Issue’s call for work that offers creative approaches to conveying knowledge and disruptions to what are considered acceptable narrative approaches we offer illustrations as well as text. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

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18 pages, 348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“We Were Queens.” Listening to Kānaka Maoli Perspectives on Historical and On-Going Losses in Hawai’i

by Antonia R.G. Alvarez, Val. Kalei Kanuha, Maxine K.L. Anderson, Cathy Kapua and Kris Bifulco

Genealogy 2020, 4(4), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy4040116 - 15 Dec 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4098

Abstract

This study examines a historical trauma theory-informed framework to remember Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or māhū (LGBTQM) experiences of colonization in Hawai`i. Kānaka Maoli people and LGBTQM Kānaka Maoli face health issues disproportionately when compared with racial [...] Read more.

This study examines a historical trauma theory-informed framework to remember Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or māhū (LGBTQM) experiences of colonization in Hawai`i. Kānaka Maoli people and LGBTQM Kānaka Maoli face health issues disproportionately when compared with racial and ethnic minorities in Hawai’i, and to the United States as a whole. Applying learnings from historical trauma theorists, health risks are examined as social and community-level responses to colonial oppressions. Through the crossover implementation of the Historical Loss Scale (HLS), this study makes connections between historical losses survived by Kānaka Maoli and mental health. Specifically, this manuscript presents unique ways that Kānaka Maoli describe and define historical losses, and place-based themes that emerged. These themes were: the militarization of land; the adoption of christianity by Kānaka Maoli ali`i; the overthrow of the sovereign Hawaiian monarch; and the importance of māhū and LGBTQ perspectives. Each of these themes will be presented in detail. Written by a queer, mestiza Pinay-American scholar, her mentor, a lesbian Kanaka Maoli scholar/activist, with contributions from Community Advisory Board members, there will also be discussion about ethics of research with and for Kānaka Maoli. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

15 pages, 237 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Healing Is Rhizomatic: A Conceptual Framework and Tool

by Jennifer Lopez

Genealogy 2020, 4(4), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy4040115 - 10 Dec 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3645

Abstract

This paper offers a conceptual framework and a set of tools that use rhizomes as a metaphor for healing in the context of oppressive violence. Existing conceptualizations of trauma, trauma recovery, and healing offer important tools for framing and addressing the impacts of [...] Read more.

This paper offers a conceptual framework and a set of tools that use rhizomes as a metaphor for healing in the context of oppressive violence. Existing conceptualizations of trauma, trauma recovery, and healing offer important tools for framing and addressing the impacts of oppression on individuals and groups. These exist in a fractured practice ground where practitioners are socialized into divisions such as “micro” vs. “macro” practice and “self-care” vs. “the work.” The Healing is Rhizomatic conceptual framework identifies five nodes (body, felt sense, relationships, place, story) and three dimensions of healing-oriented engagement (recognition, readying the ground, (re)generation) that exist across these approaches. Adaptable to multiple levels of analysis, the conceptual framework focuses on fracture, blockage, and connection as core experiences. These experiences occur in, through, and between the nodes and dimensions. This paper explores use of the conceptual framework and tools for applying it as a mechanism for assessment and reflection about internalized and operational definitions and approaches to healing. Thereby, the framework and tools offer a view of a common practice ground for practitioners engaged in healing work in the context of oppressive violence and is intended to support deeper awareness, collaboration, and coordination of approaches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

35 pages, 4714 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Historical Trauma and Resilience of Individuals of Mexican Ancestry in the United States: A Scoping Literature Review and Emerging Conceptual Framework

by Araceli Orozco-Figueroa

Genealogy 2021, 5(2), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5020032 - 29 Mar 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 15486

Abstract

Recently, Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) have encountered an escalation in adverse social conditions and trauma events in the United States. For individuals of Mexican ancestry in the United States (IMA-US), these recent events represent the latest chapter in their [...] Read more.

Recently, Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) have encountered an escalation in adverse social conditions and trauma events in the United States. For individuals of Mexican ancestry in the United States (IMA-US), these recent events represent the latest chapter in their history of adversity: a history that can help us understand their social and health disparities. This paper utilized a scoping review to provide a historical and interdisciplinary perspective on discussions of mental health and substance use disorders relevant to IMA-US. The scoping review process yielded 16 peer reviewed sources from various disciplines, published from 1998 through 2018. Major themes included historically traumatic events, inter-generational responses to historical trauma, and vehicles of transmission of trauma narratives. Recommendations for healing from historical and contemporary oppression are discussed. This review expands the clinical baseline knowledge relevant to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of contemporary traumatic exposures for IMA-US. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

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5 pages, 187 KiB

Open AccessEssay

Becoming a Yam: Healing Narratives as Political Resistance in the Time of COVID-19

by Latoya B. Brooks and Kareema J. Gray

Genealogy 2021, 5(2), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5020031 - 25 Mar 2021

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Abstract

COVID-19 created a crisis that forced people to deal with the social, emotional, personal, and interpersonal impact of the virus in the United States. Simultaneously, Black people continued to be murdered and victimized by systemic racism and social injustice. Choosing wellness, self-recovery, and [...] Read more.

COVID-19 created a crisis that forced people to deal with the social, emotional, personal, and interpersonal impact of the virus in the United States. Simultaneously, Black people continued to be murdered and victimized by systemic racism and social injustice. Choosing wellness, self-recovery, and self-care during the global pandemonium surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic serves as an act of political resistance in the face of oppression and violence. The purpose of this essay is to explore the authors’ embodied uses of personal narratives centering the work sisters of the yam: black women and self-recovery, feminist theory, and African-centered social work paradigms as coping strategies and healing work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

7 pages, 193 KiB

Open AccessEssay

Give Yourself Permission to Rest

by Kareema J. Gray and Latoya B. Brooks

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010017 - 22 Feb 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2431

Abstract

Black women in higher education have always been under pressure to prove that they belong in their positions, and often have taken on more work to prove this. The events of 2020—the COVID-19 global pandemic and the racial and social unrest that swept [...] Read more.

Black women in higher education have always been under pressure to prove that they belong in their positions, and often have taken on more work to prove this. The events of 2020—the COVID-19 global pandemic and the racial and social unrest that swept through the country increased this pressure on Black women in higher education. Historically, Black women have taken on the roles of mother, professional, and caretaker of all who were around them. The events of 2020 added to those roles for Black women faculty, working from home, homeschooling online, checking on the welfare of students, and addressing the emotional needs of their families who have been stuck indoors for months. Self-care is more important now more than before for Black women faculty. To employ these self-care strategies, Black women faculty must first give themselves permission to need them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

18 pages, 908 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Evaluation Warriorship: Raising Shields to Redress the Influence of Capitalism on Program Evaluation

by Nicole Robinson

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010015 - 14 Feb 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2578

Abstract

Evaluation warriorship, as defined by ¡Milwaukee Evaluation! Inc., links the practice of evaluation learning, reflection, and storytelling to the evaluator’s social responsibility as a warrior for justice. Unchecked global capitalism has led to extreme economic and racial injustice, undermined democracies, and accelerated environmental [...] Read more.

Evaluation warriorship, as defined by ¡Milwaukee Evaluation! Inc., links the practice of evaluation learning, reflection, and storytelling to the evaluator’s social responsibility as a warrior for justice. Unchecked global capitalism has led to extreme economic and racial injustice, undermined democracies, and accelerated environmental catastrophe. This paper argues that more evaluation warriorship is needed to resist this particular system of oppression. It presents examples of how evaluators reproduce neoliberal logic (e.g., in landscape analyses and collective impact assessments), which ultimately undermines transformative change. Evaluator reflexivity questions are proposed to incite change within the field and to help individual evaluators and evaluation teams unpack neoliberalism in their own practice. Evaluation education should include instruction on the effects of neoliberalism and how it shapes both programs and evaluation approaches. Future research should expand the body of knowledge of how neoliberalism has impacted the field of evaluation, support the development of an anti-capitalist praxis, and offer new opportunities for evaluation resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

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7 pages, 191 KiB

Open AccessCommentary

Distinguishing Racism, Not Race, as a Risk Factor for Child Welfare Involvement: Reclaiming the Familial and Cultural Strengths in the Lived Experiences of Child Welfare-Affected Parents of Color

by Tricia N. Stephens

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010011 - 26 Jan 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3836

Abstract

Child welfare-affected parents of color (CW-PaoC) are often described using language that is deficit-focused, their families depicted as fragile and living in a near constant state of crisis and need. This commentary challenges the stereotypes created by hyper-attention to these parents’ struggles and [...] Read more.

Child welfare-affected parents of color (CW-PaoC) are often described using language that is deficit-focused, their families depicted as fragile and living in a near constant state of crisis and need. This commentary challenges the stereotypes created by hyper-attention to these parents’ struggles and situates them, and their families, within the broader context of the American appetite for family separation, wherein specific types of families are targeted for scrutiny, intervention and regulation. The concept of fragility within families is dissected to illustrate the ways in which racism and classism demarcate certain families for separation. Excerpts from two separate interviews conducted with Black mothers in 2014 and 2020 are used to illustrate how the appetite for family separation is currently fed. Familial and cultural strengths that counteract the prevailing deficit-focused narrative of CW-PaoC, particularly Black parents, are discussed. This commentary ends with a call for the dissolution of the CW system in its current regulatory form and the rebuilding of family-centered supports that center familial strengths. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

3 pages, 142 KiB

Open AccessEssay

Dear Ancestors

by Zuleka Henderson

Genealogy 2021, 5(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy5010009 - 24 Jan 2021

Viewed by 1989

Abstract

This poem explores intergenerational wounding and healing from the perspective of a descendant of the African diaspora and of people affected by the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Inspired by intergenerational transmission discourse, the author reflects on the original and inherited injuries of the mass [...] Read more.

This poem explores intergenerational wounding and healing from the perspective of a descendant of the African diaspora and of people affected by the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Inspired by intergenerational transmission discourse, the author reflects on the original and inherited injuries of the mass trauma of enslavement and initiates a transtemporal communication of empathy and healing with her ancestors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Healing: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Stories, Studies and Strategies of Resistance and Transformation)

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