I recently attended a Zoom event hosted by the Tomaquag Museum in Rhode Island, an organization with a goal “to educate all of our relations (everyone) on Indigenous cultures of the Dawnland,” as noted on their official website. They are entirely Indigenous-operated, with a number of cultural, historical, and educational events put on to fulfill their mission. I have never been to the actual museum, but I hope to go and learn more about the Tomaquag people.
The event I attended was a Lunch & Learn on Indigenous trauma and healing with clinician Rene Rico, and I found it incredibly interesting. Intersectionality is very important to me, so getting to be at such an event was really incredible. While the lecture was targeted to healthcare professionals and clinical practitioners, Rico provided a lot of insight for non-clinician Indigenous peoples. Rico discussed the many ways that clinicians can support Indigenous peoples who are going through trauma and best allow them to heal. She, herself, came from two Indigenous tribes and has worked with other Indigenous peoples and emphasized that while historical and generational trauma is common in these communities due to colonization and cultural suppression, specifically in the form of Indian boarding schools, it is not an inevitable fate. Being able to truly express one’s culture can sometimes be a rare experience, so when given the opportunity to do so, it should always be taken.
Rico explained how, when people feel like they know their doctor and can trust them, they open up a lot more about their struggles, and so it’s important for these doctors to be able to provide culturally competent, patient-centered care. Essentially, this means that they should be looking at their patients through the lens of their culture when discussing treatment, care systems, and even something like symptom expression. She explained the importance of creating safe spaces, choice, empowerment, and humility in care and the need to collaborate with patients. Rico also discussed some methods of Indigenous cultural reclamation, specifically referencing the cultural significance of hair length and braiding for both men and women. She ended by saying that healing isn’t a one-size-fits-all process, which I thought was an extremely important distinction, given how often Indigenous people are grouped together as a monolith.
This talk was a really amazing way to engage with the local Indigenous community, which is often a very enriching experience, especially when coming from a strong science background. Alternative ways of knowing are very interesting to look at critically when studying Western science and often allow for a more thorough understanding of the topic.
