ABSTRACT
This handbook provides a comprehensive and cutting-edge strengths-based resource on the subject of Indigenous resilience.
Indigenous Peoples demonstrate considerable resilience despite the social, health, economic, and political disparities they experience within surrounding settler societies. This book considers Indigenous resilience in many forms: cultural, spiritual, and governance traditions remain in some communities and are being revitalized in others to reclaim aspects of their cultures that have been outlawed, suppressed, or undermined. It explores how Indigenous people advocate for social justice and work to shape settler societies in ways that create a more just, fair, and equitable world for all human and non-human beings. This book is divided into five sections:
- From the past to the future
- Pillars of Indigeneity
- The power in Indigenous identities
- The natural world
- Reframing the narrative: from problem to opportunity
Comprised of 25 newly commissioned chapters from Indigenous scholars, professionals, and community members from traditions around the world, this book will be a useful tool for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of manifestations of wellness and resilience.
This handbook will be of particular interest to all scholars, students, and practitioners of social work, social care, and human services more broadly, as well as those working in sociology, development studies, and environmental sustainability.
Introduction. Part 1: From the past to the future 1. Ireland, first colony of the British Empire: A Celtic story of Indigenous resistance, resilience, and cultural renewal 2. Resistance, resilience, and social welfare: Understanding the historical intersections of US Federal Indian policies and the helping professions 3. Indigeneity and resilience in Afroindigenous communities in Colombia 4. The eagle, the condor, and who I am among all my relations Part 2: Pillars of Indigeneity 5. Indigenous Māori notions of spirit and spirituality as enablers of resilience and flourishing in Aotearoa New Zealand 6. RI QACH’AB’ÄL JA RI RUK’UX RI QAWINAQ, CHAQA’ RI QAWINAQ JA RI RUK’UX RI QACH’AB’ÄL: Linguistic resilience in Guatemala 7. Exploring the role of sexuality and identity across the Pacific: Navigating traditional and contemporary meanings and practices 8. Pashtun community Indigenous resilience to changing socio-cultural and political challenges 9. Moko Kauae: A symbol of Indigenous resistance and resilience 10. Reclaiming our voices: The power of storytelling in healing trauma Part 3: The Power in Indigenous Identities 11. Family connectedness: An intricate web of support and aspect of Indigenous family resilience 12. Community and family support enhancing the resilience of US Indigenous women’s healthcare experiences: "They always took care of me" 13. Collective distress calls for collective wellbeing measures: The case of social support as resilience-enabling Afrocentric Indigenous pathway 14. The role of laughter in the resilience and wellbeing of Alaska Native Elders 15. "In the telling and in the listening, humanity meets": Youth testimonials of resilience from yesterday and today 16. The time before us: Land, matriarchy, and leadership in the face of change Part 4: The Natural World 17. Sámi reindeer herding as resilient way of life 18. Reconnecting with the farmland: Exploring Indigenous resilience of Atayal people in Taiwan 19. Earthquakes of Nepal: Making the case for Indigenous resilience 20. Kū kiaʻi aloha: How Maunakea and the battle to protect her birthed a decolonial pilina in an emerging generation of aloha ʻāina 21. Leading through collective resilience: Creating an Indigenous mental health response to climate change Part 5: Reframing the Narrative: From Problem to Opportunity 22. Reframing disabilities: Indigenous learners in Canadian educational systems 23. Igniting the Warrior Spirit to address historical trauma among Indigenous people 24. The resiliency of Indigenous entrepreneurial settings in the South Pacific: Notions of solesolevaki and wanbel in the case of Fiji and Papua New Guinea 25. Indy and the monster: A story of Indigenous resilience during a global pandemic Conclusion.
