Intergenerational Trauma in Native 
American Communities 
A Framework for Healing 


Definitions 
• Cosmology- Human attempts to understand andexplain the universe. 
• Culture- the medium within which all human 
development takes place. 
• Epistemology- Study of the nature and theory ofknowledge. 
• Etiology- Causal explanations of disorders. 
• Hegemony- Dominance of one state over others 


Internalized Oppression 
• Internalization of what appears to be genuine 
power in an effort to cope with despair caused 
by complete loss of power. The result is an 
intense self-hatred. 


Diagnostic Paradigms 
• Individual Deficiency 
– Intervention Strategies 
• Providing services 

– Supporting Belief/ value systems 
• Democratic pluralism 
• Science 
• Organizational reform 
• Principle of inducements 

• Dysfunctional Environment 
– Problems conceptualized 
a function of system 
output. 

Warren,R.L.(1983). The sociology of knowledge and problems of inner cities. In R.L. Warren 
and L.Lyon (Eds.) New perspectives on the American Community. Homewood, Ill: Dorsey Press 


American Indian Experience 
• Contact 
• Systematic genocide 
• Systematic ethnocide 
• Post-colonialism 


Intergenerational Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 
• Intergenerational transmission of psychological 
consequences of unresolved grief. 
– Depression 
– Danger 
– Fear 
– Hatred 
– Chaos 


Clash of Worldviews 
• Past attempts at treating problems were firmly 
grounded in western ideology 
• Iatrogenic Injury was the result 


Clash of Worldviews 
• Dualism 
• Individualism 
• Modernity 
• Holistic 
• Collective 
• Spiritual



Healing 
• Validation of Externally imposed craziness 
• Interpretation/understanding of etiology come 
from within the cultural experience of the client 
• Interventions must incorporate indigenous 
epistemological principles. 
• Interventions must incorporate an indigenous 
cosmological worldview 


PTSD: Evolution from trauma to 
possible recovery 
• Impact or Shock 
• Withdrawal and Repression 
• Acceptance/Repression (magical thinking) 
• Compliance and Anger (Decompensation) 
• Trauma Mastery (Healing) 

Duran, E. & Duran, B., (1995). Native American Postcolonial 
Psychology. Albany, NY:SUNY Press