25 Beyond Western Models: Exploring Community Well-being Through Indigenous Lenses

Chapter Citation

Arredondo, A., Zarazun, S., Jassal, G. & Coeffic-Neou (2025) Beyond western models: Exploring community well-being through Indigenous lenses In Psychological Roots. BCcampus Press. Retrieved from https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/psychologicalroots/chapter/beyond-western-models-exploring-community-well-being-through-indigenous-lenses/

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this module, students will be able to critically analyze and compare various Indigenous healing practices, demonstrating an understanding of their holistic and community-based approaches. This includes: Identifying core principles of Indigenous psychologies and their philosophical underpinnings related to healing and well-being.
Describing diverse Indigenous healing methods, such as traditional medicine, ceremonies, storytelling, and community support systems. Analyzing the interconnectedness of individual, family, and community well-being within an Indigenous framework. Evaluating the effectiveness and cultural appropriateness of different Indigenous healing approaches in addressing mental and physical health challenges. Applying knowledge gained to advocate for culturally sensitive and ethical mental health services within Indigenous communities. This learning objective emphasizes a deep understanding of Indigenous perspectives, avoiding generalizations and promoting respect for cultural diversity.

Introduction

Due to the hegemony of Western culture, psychologists traditionally focus on the individual, seeking to understand the mind and behaviour through a lens of personal experiences and internal processes. However, this individualistic approach can overlook the profound influence that community and interconnectedness have on health and well-being. Addressing the hegemony of colonialism in psychology requires a critical examination of the field’s assumptions, methods, and power dynamics. This involves interrogating the ways in which Western epistemologies have been positioned as universal truths, often marginalizing or pathologizing non-Western worldviews. Many psychological theories and practices emerged in colonial contexts and continue to reflect Eurocentric values, reinforcing a dominant narrative that sidelines indigenous knowledge systems and culturally grounded understandings of mind, behavior, and wellbeing. This necessitates commitment to decolonizing psychology by incorporating Indigenous knowledge systems, prioritizing community-based approaches, and working in partnerships with Indigenous communities in order to promote culturally relevant and healing-centered practices. By collaborating with Indigenous knowledge systems, a deeper understanding can be gained on how community shapes identity, fosters resilience, and contributes to collective well-being. These systems, rooted in centuries of wisdom gained through lived experience, challenge the dominant Western perspective by emphasizing interconnection and shared responsibility, offering a powerful counterpoint to individualism that often dominates psychological thought. Such community-based knowledge systems have proven to be resilient as they continue to push through the hegemony of colonialism, demonstrating how these epistemological methods support community strength. Through the exploration of Indigenous-based resources and psychology, this chapter aims to explore the history of community-based frameworks and their connection to the past, present, and future of psychology as a whole.

Background

Employment Overview of Indigenous Psychologies

Before we dive into exploring the topic of community in a psychological context through Indigenous ideologies, we first need to define Indigenous Psychologies (note: the plurality intentionally emphasizes and acknowledges the various cultures, traditions and healing practices across the world). Indigenous Psychologies are not merely a subfield of psychology; they stand as a movement that challenges the colonized framework that dominates the field. While Western epistemology continues to assert itself as containing superior methods for obtaining knowledge and understanding, the methods behind Indigenous Psychologies seek to create a more balanced and inclusive approach that values the integration of multiple knowledge systems (Ahenakew, 2016). This approach seeks to acknowledge all perspectives and ways of knowing (in and outside of Western academia) as being valid, and that there is no one way of acquiring knowledge to understand the world around us as well as within us. Indigenous Psychologies actively challenge the hegemony of Western systems by acknowledging that “every knowledge system offers both indispensable gifts and limitations” (Ahenakew, 2016, p. 328). In other words, each system supports a greater multifaceted approach that includes Indigenous philosophies and concepts in which is used to develop deeper psychological and physiological understanding (Sundararajan, n.d.). Cash Ahenakew (2016) offers critical insight, arguing that even when Indigenous knowledge is integrated into mainstream education, practices, and policies, Western structures continue to dictate what is considered to be valid. As Ahenakew explains, “dominant norms and populations [formed through European colonialism forcefully planting their roots] still determine what can be said and how” (p. 324). This ongoing imbalance of what methodology of knowing is right and wrong highlights the need for Indigenous Psychologies to serve not just Indigenous communities, but as a framework that fosters true collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives to develop contemporary psychological systems that exemplify the diversity behind knowing and understanding. A collaboration that focuses on acknowledging all forms of knowledge acquisition as valid methods adds more meaningful contributing insights into the field of psychology. Watts (2013) argues that this approach promotes a holistic understanding of the interdependent relationship people have with land, agency, and identity. This is particularly valuable in strengthening community resilience, as it encourages deeper connections between individuals and their environments. Unlike conventional psychological models, Indigenous Psychologies advocate for relational approaches that acknowledge the reciprocal relationships that sustain both human and non-human life. Ultimately, Indigenous Psychologies advocate for the integration of Indigenous knowledge and practices into the broader discourse of contemporary psychology. Moreover, it aims to shift the focus toward supporting community-based well-being, emphasizing both mental and physical health, not only for individuals but for entire ecosystems. By incorporating inclusivity, balance, and reciprocity, Indigenous Psychologies set out to challenge the limitations of Western paradigms and offers a transformative vision for the future of psychology—one that honors diverse ways of knowing and being.

Healthcare Overview of Indigenous Psychologies

Indigenous views regarding health and well-being are related to holistic and community-oriented approaches, such as the interconnection between physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Holistic approaches to health recognize that well-being isn’t just about the absence of illness, but is a state of harmony within oneself and the community. Indigenous knowledge systems further emphasize the importance of cultural identity and their connection to land, which is vital for mental and emotional well-being. The role of family and community is paramount when it comes to Indigenous health perspectives, where supportive relationships and community cohesion are essential for individual well-being. Indigenous healing practices often involve community participation and collective support; an example of this could be holding space and joining in a circle to share stories and experiences (Linklater, 2014)—much like group therapy. Many Indigenous communities also face frequent health disparities due to historical and ongoing colonial impacts. Addressing these disparities involves recognizing and healing from their traumas, which puts significant focus in mental health initiatives (Ciofalo et al., 2022). Indigenous communities also incorporate traditional healing methods by holding ceremonies, storytelling, and using medicinal plants, like Sage (Linklater, 2014). There are organizations like the Assembly of First Nations that advocate for equitable, self-determined healthcare that respects Indigenous knowledge and practices (Assembly of First Nations, 2025). Recent studies synthesize Indigenous perspectives on wellness, highlighting the need for culturally relevant mental health services that align with Indigenous values and beliefs (Linklater, 2014).

Connecting Indigenous Psychologies and Community Psychology

To understand how Indigenous Psychologies connect and contribute to community psychology, it is imperative to understand how Indigenous Psychologies support the value of community. Understanding the history and meaning of community and Indigenous psychologies reveals some parallels in the way they focus on understanding human behaviour within a sociocultural lens; however, they differ in their epistemological methods. As presented earlier, Indigenous Psychologies is a movement that serves as a living conversation and a reaction against the colonization and hegemony of Western psychology. Community psychology focuses primarily on how individuals relate to their communities and how communities impact individuals. Indigenous Psychologies and community psychology have similar principles that include personal wellness, ensuring access to resources, social justice and freedom from oppression, and encouraging a sense of community and connectedness, which include multiple dimensions of diversity (Harrell, 2019). The drastic difference in the foundation of both fields is that one is rooted in Indigenous worldviews, while the other, community psychology, is rooted in Western ideologies. While community psychology does concern itself with the collective and ecological aspects of mental health, it primarily originates from Western traditions. Its focus is understanding issues such as social justice, oppression and community well-being through a broad interdisciplinary lens that incorporates systems theory, models and social change (Collins et al., 2021). Community psychology is interdisciplinary; it borrows from various fields such as sociology, anthropology, political science, public health, etc. These fields ensure that community psychology can effectively help in social structures, institutions, culture and community narratives, along with ethnography. Indigenous psychologies emphasize interconnectedness; they are original systems of thought developed with distinct cultural frameworks that include prioritizing local knowledge, languages and practices that are passed down through generations via oral traditions (González et al., 2022). Not only does it highlight the links between individuals, it prioritizes communities, nature, spirituality and narrative traditions that foster identity and resilience that is not found through community psychology itself. There have been worldwide calls for indigenization and the development of psychology that socially and culturally validates Indigenous ideologies (Uichol Kim et al., 2006). The purpose of including both psychologies in this conversation is to further instill the ideas of a shift from Western paradigms and a step into Indigenous psychologies with an integration and acknowledgement of community psychology and its history. Both have emerged in times of a heavy sociopolitical climate that called for change within the broad field of psychology. It is to understand that community psychology and, more importantly, psychology, must be decolonized. Separating Indigenous ideologies from community psychology is out of the question, as they both press concerns of interconnectedness, belonging, and, now, decolonizing Western worldviews; we cannot introduce one without acknowledging the other. Pre-colonialism and Post-colonialism: Effects on Community For over five hundred years, Indigenous peoples have been extensively displaced by colonial violence, including the significantly enforced legislation and institutions that continue to have ongoing effects on their communities, spirits and health (Linklater, 2014). Indigenous peoples continue to live with colonial-related trauma to this day, and we must recognize that this is not something varying person to person, but is multigenerational and multifaceted. Pathologizing Indigenous peoples is not the objective of this chapter. It is important to recognize that as part of an ever-changing discipline, we must keep our best interest in the importance of Indigenous peoples’ sciences and worldviews to start to understand such trauma. In understanding this trauma, we must always remember that community is one of the most important frameworks in creating safe spaces for Indigenous peoples. Linklater (2014) speaks for us all; Indigenous peoples are not often well served by Western treatment styles, and typically, when seeking help, they are faced with more traumatization and alienation. Hill et al. (2010), in addition, say it perfectly; the tools of Western psychology simply serve as modern forces of colonization, leading to further oppression, marginalization and destruction of remaining cultural community bonds. For Indigenous peoples, community is a pillar of identity. As Jensen (2022) said, it is to come together for ceremony, mourning, celebration, harvest, support, and everything. Post-colonialism has had many effects on Indigenous communities across the globe. Even to this day, there is no perfect post-colonial world in which Indigenous peoples are not living with trauma. Morgan (2020) heavily discusses something called Spiritual Fatigue, which Indigenous peoples suffer from as a debilitating consequence of having to constantly either struggle for human rights and freedoms or being forced to constantly defend them. He explains this as the Indigenous peoples of Australia continue to deal with several effects resulting from the ongoing suffering of transgenerational trauma. This leads to disconnection and even being forcibly removed from the country, which is much deeper than mere geography. The Indigenous lands hold an important and sacred meaning that has been growing and developing for thousands of years. As we have mentioned, land, its association with language, is just as important. The destruction of Indigenous languages and the contamination of culture and traditional values, along with the destruction of age-old lore that has governed how Indigenous peoples lived with their environment and their people. Within the realm of multifaceted trauma, we can say that with multigenerational trauma, there can be a transformation to intergenerational abundance. While it is necessary to shed light on the history, focusing on the strength and resiliency that Indigenous peoples cultivate is just as essential. Merrit (2011) amplifies that First Nations are survivors, focusing on the continuity of transgenerational transmission of trauma, with an understanding of its grief, pain and hurt. Focusing on resilience fosters open discussions towards trauma and healing, rather than talking about dysfunctional families, we shift the language to traumatized families (Linklater, 2014). A shared collective history is what, in this context, can bond people together and create a sense of belonging. Linklater (2014) speaks on how Indigenous peoples have protective factors that increase such resiliency, such as: family networks, generational relationships, community support systems and spiritual-cultural resources.

Women in Indigenous communities, MMIWG, and Feminist Ideologies Indigenous women are the most resilient; they have endured extreme amounts of mental, physical and sexual abuse throughout the history of Residential schools, the ongoing colonialism that continues to erode Indigenous women’s understanding of community, belonging and culture. Corntassel (2003) speaks about peoplehood as the interlocking features of language, homeland, ceremonial cycles and sacred living histories — any disruption to this is a threat to such daily lives. It is to say that community is beyond important in the rebuilding of trust, love and decolonization, especially for Indigenous women. Indigenous feminism is important to recognize within the understanding of the pre- and post-colonial effects on Indigenous communities as we gain an understanding of what has been displaced and what we seek to find and flourish in it. Green (2017) states that Indigenous feminism raises issues of colonialism, racism and sexism. It is to say that Indigenous feminism literature and politics is a direct critique of such issues with great emphasis on gendered and raced power relations, both within settler and Indigenous communities (p. 21). The 1951 Indian Act had various sexist rules that governed entitlement to status that directly affected women; specifically, the “marry-out rule,” which caused Indigenous women to lose their status upon marrying someone non-Indigenous, also known as non-status. The decades of pre-colonial institutional racism and sexism, such as the Indian Act, displaced various women, which continues through post-colonialism. There is an upsetting amount of violence that goes unnoticed, with the numbers rising after the 1990s. We see such effects in the ongoing investigation of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG); 70% of disappearances, and 60% of murders occurred in urban areas, along with only 53% of them being charged with homicide — 87% of those women were mothers to at least one child (Ambler, 2014). Pre-colonial Indigenous peoples’ communities were diverse, with societies shaped by complex cultures. Rebick (2005) states that the Indian Act has abolished the traditional matriarchal society with a patriarchal one. It raises the question of how Indigenous communities have internalized the perpetuation of colonial practices, especially male dominance over women and children. Green (2017) explains this wonderfully; there are fundamental differences between the Indigenous and Euro-Western cultures regarding gender relations — various Indigenous women claim that Indigenous cultures do not have a history of unequal gender relations; rather, it is the opposite, that they held autonomy, led communities and had high status (p. 37). Tohe (2000) shares, “We didn’t need to fight for our place in our societies because it surrounded us constantly” (p.110). Influence of Indigenous Psychologies on Community Psychology Indigenous knowledge systems have had an impact on the current decolonization of Western psychology, in ways of pushing to rethink its foundations, decentering Western ways of knowing and engaging in land-based knowledge. Within the community psychology field, Indigenous peoples have long emphasized relational accountability, as knowledge is not neutral — the researchers are responsible to the communities they work with. Shifting the paradigm within the field of psychology from “research on” to “research with” is imperative to the inclusion of Indigenous ideologies and psychologies within community psychology. The biggest issue faced is that empirical research that focuses on historical and multi-generational trauma within Indigenous communities is understandably rather scant (Hill et al., 2010). Traditionally, researchers have taken a “discovery” approach to research in Indigenous communities without regard to the often-disastrous consequences that have resulted in those communities. With proper integration, Community psychology can allow Indigenous practitioners to marry their cultural wisdom, respect, values and knowledge to mainstream psychology to creatively support their communities. In Australia, within the Australian Psychological Society, a crew of Indigenous peoples employed a Participatory Action Research (PAR). Tsey et al. (2000) explain that the PAR process is an empowerment research technique aimed at raising critical consciousness through ordinary people generating relevant knowledge to address the issues that are of priority concern to them. It involves researchers assuming the roles of peer facilitators to generate broader systemic frameworks for understanding given situations. These frameworks are then used to question the situation and identify alternative courses of action. From here, the process itself is spiralling as knowledge and understanding inform strategy development, followed by action, reflection and new understanding with ongoing change and improvement being the goal. This facilitation of ongoing research allows for there to be proper ethical boundaries and cultural humility. Laliberté (2012) states it aims to empower participants, their families and community to take greater control and ownership of circumstances that influence their lives, including meeting their basic physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs within a research-based context. With more integration of Indigenous based protocols and programs in which research facilitation involves the ideologies of interconnectedness, we can find more Indigenous participants’ experiences within research to be of a positive light and true benefit. How have the roles and representations of Indigenous women evolved throughout history, and what impact have colonialism, cultural resilience, and activism had on their status within both their communities and broader society?

Inuit Community Child Rearing

Disclaimer: The following section is based on Never in Anger: Portrait of an Eskimo Family (1970). As a product of its time, the term Eskimo appears frequently to refer to the Inuit as a collective. We acknowledge that this term is no longer appropriate, and any use will be limited to direct quotations from this book.

Between 1963-1965, anthropologist Jean Briggs spent 17 months on a field study in Chantrey Inlet, the traditional territory of the Utkuhiksalingmiut (Uktu) people in the Northwest Territories, and summarized her findings in her book, Never in Anger: Portrait of an Eskimo Family (1970). She lived as a “‘daughter’ in an Eskimo family” (Briggs, 1970) and closely observed family and community interactions, with a particular interest in the emotional development and socialization of small children (“In Memoriam: Jean L. Briggs”, 2019). This section will examine Briggs’ observations and relate them to principles of community psychology. Her research demonstrated profound differences in the way children are socialized in Utku families compared with western conventions and provides valuable insight into how Indigenous ways of knowing have shaped these communities. According to Kloos et al.’s (2012) textbook, Community Psychology: Linking Individuals and Communities (3rd ed.), community psychologists use four ecological principles to understand human environments: interdependence, cycling of resources, adaptation, and succession. Interdependence recognizes that social systems have many related parts that can influence one another, and more than one result can occur from a single change. Cycling of resources looks at “how resources are used, distributed, conserved, and transformed” (p. 142), and can include personal resources, such as knowledge, strengths, experiences, and social resources, such as shared beliefs and values, and emotional support. Adaptation examines how individuals and social systems adapt to one another. For example, a child might learn emotional restraint as they adapt to the birth of a sibling, and likewise the family also adapts to this change. The fourth principle, succession, acknowledges that social systems undergo change over time, and so do patterns of interdependence, cycling of resources, and adaptation. For example, the relationship between a mother and child changes over time, and if a resource such as emotional support is not available, their relationship can become strained. This underlines the importance of understanding the history of a social system before a psychologist can suggest an appropriate solution to a problem (Kloos et al., 2012, 141-142.). In Never in Anger, Briggs observed the children of the Uktu family she lived with, including three-year-old Saarak and her six-year-old sister Raigili. Although there were variations in child-rearing practices among families, she noted a common thread of training children in controlling their emotions. The Uktu expected very young children to cry and anger easily because they lacked ihuma: “no mind, thought, reason, or understanding”. Ihuma is acquired as a child grows up and this process is assumed to be, to some extent, autonomous. They do not believe in teaching a child reason before that child shows signs of possessing it. This meant that all of Saarak’s whims and wishes were catered to, and if they could not, she would be soothed tenderly. Her parents never punished her for expressing her feelings, no matter how big and tumultuous they could be. They might gently tease her or remind her that actions have consequences, but they never insisted on obedience. Misbehaviour could also be met with silence, laughter, or false threats to encourage more mature behaviour: “Watch out! Yiini [Jean Briggs] has adopted a pet marmot and she keeps it under her sleeping bag.” […] But often adults seemed to make a sort of game out of the threatening situation, […] and finally letting the child into the secret: permitting him to look under the sleeping bag or reassuring him that they had been lying to him. And if the child chose to pay no attention, the subject was dropped; penalties were not inflicted on him, either in retribution for his wrongdoing or to “teach him a lesson.” (Briggs, 1970, 140-141.) With respect to community psychology, we could say that Saarak’s family displays interdependence in that Saarak’s childish desires influence her parents to soothe her, and her parents influence Saarak by teaching her that her feelings are nothing to be ashamed of. This emotional support is an example of a social resource that her parents are providing, and as they continue to provide this emotional support, Saarak will gradually adapt to the more mature behaviours that are being encouraged. That said, the adaptation was not without suffering. This can be seen in her sister Raigili, who, like most older Uktu children, was generally gentle-mannered. (Briggs, 1970.) When she did not get her way, she tended to sulk dramatically, or sob in silence.To train her in ihuma, the elders would initially ignore her, only intervening if she did not improve quickly enough of her own accord. Her father Inuttiaq would say, “Stop crying. You are loved. Drink some tea. Stop crying.” If that did not work, he resorted to teasing and mocking her crying sounds until Raigili was screaming in fury. Inuttiak would respond to each scream with amusement, eventually going back to ignoring her by singing to himself. As for Raigili, her sobs quieted down until she was silent. (Briggs, 1970.) This could be an example of succession in the social system, as Raigili is learning that she is too old to be comforted as she was when she was younger. (Although it is interesting to note that her father does remind her verbally that she is loved.) The nature of her relationship with her parents has changed, and thus she eventually adopts more mature behaviours. From our contemporary perspective, it could be interesting to explore the impact of neurodivergence in Indigenous communities, especially with respect to Uktu child rearing. As Briggs’ research for this book was conducted in the 1960s before the discourse on neurodiversity was widespread, this was not taken into consideration. Although she did publish further research into the 1990s, including her book Inuit Morality Play: the Emotional Education of a Three-Year-Old (1998), disorders such as autism and ADHD were primarily diagnosed in middle-class white boys, and clinical diagnosis still tends to overlook people who do not fit that stereotype (Hendrickx, 2024). How do traditional Inuit child-rearing practices reflect the values of community, respect, and emotional regulation, and what lessons can contemporary societies learn from these practices to enhance their own parenting approaches?

Supporting Community Resilience Through Indigenous Healing and Well-Being

The journey towards healing for Indigenous communities is a complex and multifaceted one, requiring a holistic approach that addresses both individual and collective trauma. This section delves into the concept of collective healing, exploring its key components and how it can empower Indigenous communities to reclaim their cultural heritage, build resilience, and find pathways towards a brighter future. Examining the importance of cultural revitalization, resilience building, and truth and reconciliation as essential steps towards collective well-being. Cultural revitalization is a critical component of collective healing for Indigenous communities, encompassing a wide range of activities aimed at reclaiming and strengthening cultural practices and traditions that have been impacted by colonization and other forms of oppression. It’s not merely about preserving the past; it’s about actively shaping a vibrant and sustainable cultural future. Language revitalization, traditional arts, traditional knowledge and practices, ceremonies and rituals, storytelling and oral traditions, and community-based initiatives can do this. Additionally, exploring the roles of holistic approaches and community support systems in fostering healing and empowerment within Indigenous communities. By understanding the interconnectedness of these concepts, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the unique challenges and opportunities facing Indigenous peoples on their path towards healing and self-determination. Collective healing is a central theme in Indigenous psychologies, it acknowledges the interconnectedness of individuals and communities in healing from historical and ongoing trauma. This process necessitates cultural revitalization, resilience building, and truth and reconciliation. Cultural revitalization involves reclaiming and promoting Indigenous cultures, languages, and practices, fostering a sense of identity and belonging which is crucial for psychological well-being (Delauney, 2013). Resilience building equips communities to withstand and recover from future adversities, with volunteerism playing a key role in fostering community solidarity and collective action (Sandberg, et al., 2024). Truth and reconciliation requires the acknowledgement of the historical injustices and traumas that have been inflicted upon Indigenous communities, including the impact of colonization, forced relocations, and broken treaties (Carlson & Redvers, 2023). Holistic approaches emphasize spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental dimensions to health and are essential to healing. These approaches draw from traditional knowledge systems and highlight the importance of community support networks. Intergenerational trauma, which is the impact of trauma passed down through generations, is a significant focus. The Educare approach, a culturally sensitive educational method, addresses these issues through the use of storytelling and practices like Dadirri (deep listening) to foster emotional healing and reconnect fractured familial relationships (Delauney, 2013). Some of Linklater’s holistic approaches from her book “Decolonizing Trauma Work: Indigenous Stories and Strategies” are the interconnectedness of well-being, she emphasizes that healing is not just about addressing individual trauma but involves a holistic view that encompasses emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical health. She believes that these aspects are deeply interconnected, and that true healing requires attention to all of them. In her approach to integrating Indigenous knowledge and practices into trauma work, we must recognize and respect traditional healing methods and cultural contexts, which are essential for effective healing in Indigenous communities. A significant theme within her work is the empowerment of individuals and communities. Linklater encourages Indigenous peoples to reclaim their narratives and healing practices, which fosters a sense of agency and resilience. This empowerment is crucial for holistic healing as it allows individuals to take an active role in their recovery. Linklater also highlights the importance of community involvement in the healing process. She suggests that collective healing practices, such as storytelling and shared rituals, can enhance a sense of belonging and support within communities, which is vital for holistic well-being. Linklater’s approach also acknowledges the connection between the mind and body, where emotional and psychological states can manifest physically. By addressing both mental and physical health, Linklater’s methods aim to create a more comprehensive healing experience. She further recognizes the spiritual component to healing, which can be particularly significant to Indigenous cultures. She encourages practices that connect individuals to their spirituality, which fosters a deeper sense of purpose and belonging. By embracing these elements, Linklater’s holistic approach not only addresses trauma but also promotes overall well-being and resilience within Indigenous communities. Volunteerism and community-driven initiatives are vital in providing support systems for Indigenous communities. Memorial playgrounds, for example, offer spaces for collective healing and remembrance, fostering a sense of community solidarity, resilience, and pride (Sandberg, et al., 2024). Public health practices must incorporate cultural safety practices which emphasize the understanding of power dynamics and the historical context of colonization, to address health inequalities faced by Indigenous peoples. This requires recognizing and transforming the power imbalances that contribute to health inequities (Carlson & Redvers, 2023). Therefore, by embracing these principles, we can work towards a future where Indigenous communities thrive, and their voices are heard.

Thus, by delving into the powerful works of Renee Linklater, focusing on her book “Decolonizing Trauma Work: Indigenous Stories and Strategies,” and its emphasis on cultural relevance, Indigenous knowledge, and holistic healing, as well as expanding our understanding by examining the perspectives of Carlson and Redvers in their article “Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Safety in Public Health,” Delauney’s exploration of “Educare as a Healing Approach to Indigenous Trauma,” and Sandberg, Hurmerinta, and Menzfeld’s insights on “Volunteerism and Community Healing,” we can see these diverse perspectives have painted a compelling picture of the multifaceted nature of Indigenous healing practices. Seeing cultural safety, community engagement, and empowering individuals and communities are crucial for fostering resilience and strength. This journey has shown us that true healing goes beyond addressing individual issues and focuses on creating a sense of community wholeness and connection. How do Indigenous healing practices challenge Western biomedical models of health and illness, and what insights can we gain from this challenge for a more holistic and culturally sensitive approach to well-being?

Community-based Ways of Knowing

Building on the principles of Indigenous Psychologies, Indigenous ways of knowing offer valuable insights that can strengthen the foundations of community psychology. By exploring Indigenous-based resources and psychological frameworks, we can uncover methodologies that support resilience and well-being. These approaches include supporting community through the acquisition of knowledge related to the natural environment—encouraging individuals to adopt holistic perspectives that recognize the land as a living entity that contributes to both personal and communal agency (Watts, 2013). Additionally, oral storytelling plays a crucial role in transmitting knowledge and strengthening community resilience, as stories create deep connections between people, the land, and their shared histories. When thoughtfully integrated, Indigenous-led approaches provide valuable teachings that enhance holistic understanding, improving both mental and physical well-being. By incorporating these perspectives, mainstream psychological and physiological systems can evolve to better support diverse communities on a global scale.

The Acquisition of Knowledge: Guided by the Agency of Land

Community-based ways of knowing empower individuals to develop understanding of their role and agency within their cultural and environmental context. Communal knowledge systems are important for establishing and maintaining reciprocal relationships with both human and non-human life to support community resilience. The acknowledgment of collective agency, as expressed in Indigenous beliefs, reinforces that community-based learning is not merely an academic exercise but a lived experience—one that demands active participation, respect, and ethical responsibility toward all beings (Watts, 2013). The integration of Indigenous cosmologies can help to re-establish reciprocal communication with the land that colonialism has disrupted. Leanne Betasamosake Simpson (2014) illustrates this through sharing the integral connection between land, culture, and education from a Nishnaabeg point of view. By narrating the story of Kwezens, a young Nishnaabeg girl, Simpson demonstrates how Indigenous knowledge is cultivated through familial ties and community practices, emphasizing experiential learning and core cultural values such as love, compassion, and respect for all beings. This story exemplifies how community practices that emphasize land as both context and medium for education, can offer knowledge that encourages deeper connection to one’s self, their surroundings, and their history. Such learning that encourages active participation involving a reciprocal relationship with nature not only promotes awareness of Indigenous perspectives but also empowers learners to take responsibility for their relationships with the land, encouraging stewardship and ethical engagement. This approach to community-based learning challenges the dominance of Western academia as it aims to reconnect learners to the deep epistemological roots from which Indigenous knowledges emerge, teaching Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals to experience alternatives to knowledge construction (Ahenakew, 2016). Educational practices that thoughtfully merge community-based learning with Indigenous methodologies, reveal the value of acknowledging local context, histories, collective experiences, and diverse epistemologies. The integration of diverse knowledge systems paves the way for more equitable dialogue that honours Indigenous ideologies while challenging mainstream learning methodologies, relevant for developing better holistic understanding applicable to Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners. Connecting People, Land and History Through Storytelling In addition to community-based learning that involves active participation with land, storytelling serves as a powerful tool that can foster deeper connections between people, the land, and their shared histories. Simpson (2014) reinforces this as she illustrates how these traditions are more than just stories–they strengthen relationships with the land and community while reinforcing the value of respect and reciprocity. Among several Indigenous communities, storytelling functions as an educational tool that builds reciprocal relationships through sharing knowledge, values and experiences. It is a tradition that “has the unique ability to connect people, bridge divides, and promote healing” (Brightspark, 2024). Within these narratives, there are generations of accumulated wisdom in which teach and make room for the added wisdom of generations yet to come. Stories give instructions on how to become respectful, interconnected, reciprocal, truthful, humble, honourable, and most importantly, they teach learners how to tell their own stories to continue the cycle of accumulated wisdom. By deepening connections to others, the land, and history, storytelling can also help individuals develop a stronger sense of identity as well as a clever understanding in regard to their place positioned in the larger community. One cannot find and strengthen their resilience without learning to understand holistic interconnectedness. It is through these narratives that Indigenous peoples reclaim and define the histories beyond colonial frameworks, preserving ancestral wisdom while building community resilience through the dominance of Western academia. How do Indigenous community-based healing practices empower individuals and communities to reclaim their health and well-being, and what challenges and opportunities exist in integrating these practices into contemporary healthcare systems?

Conclusion

This exploration of Indigenous knowledge systems reveals a profound truth: our well-being is intricately woven into the fabric of community–inclusive of human and non-human beings. This chapter has examined Indigenous-based resources and psychological approaches to trace the history of community-based frameworks and their enduring influence on the past, present, and future of the field of psychology. Community-based frameworks – rooted in Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies – have guided generations since time immemorial. The enduring presence of such frameworks, standing strong even through the disruption of colonial forces, has proven valuable in regard to building as well as maintaining psychological and physiological resilience. By embracing the wisdom of interconnectedness and shared responsibility, we can move beyond the limitations of individualistic approaches and cultivate a more holistic understanding of the human experience. This means envisioning a psychology that celebrates the 8 billion flavours of the human experience—one that honours cultural diversity, promotes reconnection with land, and affirms the relational nature of existence. As we integrate these insights into the future of psychology, we can build a more inclusive and equitable field—one that acknowledges the vital role of community in shaping identity, nurturing resilience, and ultimately contributing to collective well-being.

Key Terms

community, healing, culture, knowledge, Indigenous, decolonization, collective healing, traditional knowledge, Indigenous worldview, relationality, land-based knowledge, storytelling, resilience, empowerment, intergenerational knowledge, community-based research, psychology, and cultural revitalization.

References
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