1 A Mind Spread out on the Ground
Themes:
Intersection between Colonialism and Mental Health in Indigenous Communities, Social Determinants of Mental Health, Culture as Resilience Factor, Impact of Language, Doctrine of Discovery/Colonialism, Grief (role of grief in society/different cultures)
Disciplines:
Counselling, Music Therapy, HCA, ECCE, EA, Humanities (English, linguistics, FNLG), Social Sciences (history, sociology, psychology) Communications, Community Development, (Documentary Film)
Guiding Questions:
- For what reasons do you think Elliot describes the therapist as ‘particularly unqualified’ to address her depression?
- Review pages 6-7. Respond to the question, ‘What does that type of pain, mourning and loss do to you?” through an image, poem, song or story.
- Research the Doctrine of Discovery. Journal your responses to what you learn.
- Elliott describes Canada as an abusive father.
- What is the relationship of macro and micro abuse? What are the impacts?
- Why did the author choose this wording?
- What do those words make you think of?
- On page 11, Elliott writes, “In fact, the Mind over Mood Depression Inventory could double as a checklist for the effects of colonialism on our people.” Whom would you write a letter to in response to this paragraph, and what would you want to say?
- On page 12, Elliott describes the Haudenonsaunee condolence ceremony. What is the relation between grief and depression? What is your own experience of grief in reading this chapter? What practices do/could help you attend to and process grief more fully?
- Elliott challenges the construction of depression as separate from social determinants. How does language shape your understanding of mental health? In a group, create a list of terms and phrases you are most familiar with when describing mental health and illness. Create a wordle.
- Why do you think the author wrote this chapter? What surprised you about this chapter? Explore what has changed/shifted for you after reading this chapter in your understanding of history/depression/Indigenous people/mental health through a poem, drawing, graphic illustration or other expressive medium.