Open Collections

John, Roger E.

University of British Columbia

There are many articles, chapters and books written about challenges to well-being for Indigenous peoples, but there is limited research that has gathered data from Indigenous Knowledge Keepers about their views on well-being, whether relating to physical health or mental health. Research on the construct of Indigenous mental health and protective factors or determinants is limited, not in quantity, but in its ability to improve the health of Indigenous peoples. It is my belief (and of other Indigenous scholars) that many of the bio-psycho-social-spiritual illnesses that afflict Indigenous peoples result from colonization, not individual pathology or cultural factors. I called my Indigenous research methodology Over the Waves, which is based on St’at’imcets methodology. I asked seven i wa7 zewatets (“those who know”) to share their thoughts and knowledge about well-being. I generated four themes from the data bundles the i wa7 zewatets shared with me: 1) Belonging – know who you belong to and who belongs to you; 2) Wellness is Fluid and Dynamic; 3) Responsibility and Autonomy are equally important in Indigenous wellness and 4) the Assumption of Medicine – medicine is everywhere, inside of us, inside others and around us. I share the data bundles of these themes using the words of the i wa7 zewatets and my lived experience as an Indigenous person and as an Indigenous psychotherapist. In addition to the themes, I also created seven knowledge bundles in the discussion chapter. I call these knowledge bundles “New Currents”, following a water-based theme of locations related to water in St’at’imc territory. The New Currents are thoughts or ideas that stood out for me from the processing of the data bundles. The new currents are: 1) Wellness and Climate (Tsalalh – the Lake); 2) Playing with your Pain (Sk’mkin – Top end of Tsalalh); 3) the Power of Gathering (Scet – drop-off); 4) Reciprocity is ceremony (Kwlsvlqen/Inasket - where the mountain goat people live/translation unknown); 5) Q’waxt - To notice, to observe (Satatqwa7 – St’at’imets name for the Fraser River); 6) Healing is ceremony (Tsek – healing hot springs) and 7) the Assumption of Medicine (Hi7ulmecw – south end of Tsalalh – a place of spirits).

Text

2025-06-05

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/91284

Counselling Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/