Cultural Connectedness: A Key to Resilience, Repairing the Wounded Spirit

Indigenous Peoples are experiencing the ongoing effects of colonization, but communities have demonstrated that cultural connection may play a key role in breaking the cycle of historical trauma. Cultural connectedness or the extent to which an individual identifies and is integrated within their culture has the potential to be used to protect Indigenous Peoples from past and present harms. Lasting consequences (i.e., historical trauma) continue to impact many Indigenous Peoples daily. Historical trauma is an accumulation of emotional and psychological wounding over the lifespan and across generations. The objective of the proposed studies is to explore the influence of cultural connection on mental health among Indigenous Peoples. We will examine the relationships between historical trauma, mental health, a sense of belonging, and cultural connectedness using Aboriginal Peoples’ Survey data. We will utilize a moderated mediation model to assess whether: i) exposure to historical trauma predicts mental health, ii) a sense of belonging explains this relationship, and iii) cultural connectedness affects the relationship between historical trauma, a sense of belonging, and mental health. It is essential to understand the ways that culture can be utilized to help repair Indigenous Peoples wounded spirits.