While reviewing some course materials in preparation for class discussion, I happened to come across a very interesting principle of behavior that is said to be common and widespread among Aboriginal society. This principle was introduced by Dr. Clare Brant at a workshop on social conditions and services on Mi’kmaq reserves held at Liscombe Lodge, Nova Scotia, in 1982. As the title of this blog post suggests, this behavioral standard affirms that one’s temper need not be shown or expressed to others.
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It is believed that this behavior originated from a time when shamans and witches were very much alive, powerful, and secret (secret; meaning that it was not possible with a simple glance to determine who was a good which, or who was a bad witch). In order to prevent these shamans and witches from cursing one with a spell, Aboriginal children were told not to provoke them with insulting and offending behaviour, or by showing them their anger. Aboriginal children were therefore taught at an early age to repress their anger; to keep this feeling out of conscious thought because not only was it unwise and reckless to demonstrate this feeling, it was considered sinful.
So what does this ‘fairytale-like’ story have to do with health and healing you may ask?
Well, if one considers all of the reasons Aboriginal people have to be angry (colonization, relocation, assimilation, and so on) and on top of this, adds the pressure of living within a society that forbids any expression of this anger; a build up of aggression can occur. Years of repressed frustration and anger often times leads to hostility which in turn when mixed with a substance like alcohol (which is regularly used as a form of self-medication) can lead to aggressive outbursts. The sad news is, this aggression and hostility is more often than not displaced and far removed from its original source and therefore finds itself upon an innocent bystander such as a loved one, acquaintance, or even stranger. And even with the most courageous attempt, the suppression and regression of anger fails.
Furthermore, this repressed hostility has been linked to the high incidence of grief reactions seen in our Aboriginal populations. As discovered by Freud in a paper titled ‘Mourning and Melancholia” a very complex psychological process makes individuals who have suppressed hostility more susceptible to depression and grief. This can be backed up with numbers which show approximately 44% of Aboriginals who seek psychiatric care are suffering from a grief reaction triggered by the loss of someone or something, or a separation from someone or something; compared to 19% of the ‘white’ population.
I felt it necessary to share this story and the insightful findings which stem from it because often times we are taught the hard facts; such as there is a high incidence of alcohol abuse, domestic violence, suicide among the Aboriginal population, but we are never taught the ‘why?’ To me, this bit of information only scratches the surface of the ‘why’ questions, but I feel that sharing it is a step in the right direction!
For more interesting principles and ethics, check out this link to the lecture by Dr. Clare Brant …
Two-Eyed Seeing for Health 