This sounds like that orphanage in Canada run by the nuns, I can't remember the name of anyone, so I can't even Google it. Anyhow, it was notorious.
I would be interested in finding out historic buildings or institutions where these abuses have occurred, and maybe ask law schools for help to convert them into programs for recovery and counseling.
I heard of a boarding school in Canada where the Native Americans or Innuit ? were forced into sterilization. So that is a form of genocide. There is more than just physical damage, but the spiritual damage that carries from one generation to the next still needs healing for the cycle to stop. Otherwise I keep hearing more stories of Native Americans suffering from alcoholic or gambling addiction, and one young man who killed other classmates in a school shooting. How much of that latent rage is connected with the suppressed grief from genocide of the past?
The counseling and recovery help required to heal future generations affected could be provided through community programs based in these very centers once abused to commit these deeply damaging acts of oppression and abuse against defenseless people.
We may not know the names, but somebody out there may have family affected. It has an effect on others, and the wounds of the past need to be healed to break the cycle of victimhood.
Soul Wound: The Legacy of Native American Schools
There is no latent grief from genocide of the past.
If you are looking for some connection between charity and guilt, be aware that it sounds like gobbledygook.
Dear
Tipsycatlover
If you are not experienced or skilled in the area of spiritual healing people such as Native Americans,
I suggest you do research into people and groups who are experienced with helping members of these communities with recovery.
I'll never forget watching a documentary about working with Native Americans as a community on healing from the past.
Like you, many of these members themselves DENIED they carried any anger or resentment, at first.
But when they started going through the therapy, the pain came out.
The anguish, the shame. After they were able to cry and release the pain from the past,
then they were free to speak openly and had no resentment or anger. So this was not to "focus on victimhood" but to get rid of the denial and remove any of that mentality that was suppressed. This forgiveness process has been shown to help people break out of "victim mentality" and overcome setbacks instead of resenting them either consciously or unconsciously.
In the case of Native Americans, it had been suppressed, underneath the denial used as a "defense mechanism" Only when they had a safe environment to share (for the purpose of healing not holding on to this) and let these emotions out, then they all came out in order to let go fully.
The 5 step grief process isn't a perfect description,
but many people have discovered they have stages they haven't finished
and as they progress, these stages do come forth, but not always in a predictable order.
Just because you have no understanding or knowledge of the suppressed grief
doesn't mean it isn't there! Even the people carrying this grief didn't think they had anything suppressed, until it came out during the sessions.
I can't see all the molecules or particles that are in a water drop
but that doesn't meant they aren't there.
If I really want to know, I'll go ask an expert who can describe the contents of a water drop.
Likewise there are experts who have worked with therapy and healing, and particularly with
Native Americans and their spirituality. If they understand the culture, the signs and stages, and what works to resolve issues within that culture, I am going to trust these who have developed effective ways and solutions that work with that particular demographic group.
One of the college teachers I know working with a nonprofit on interethnic relations and healing,
said that the Native Americans she knows carry a deep rooted distrust from the past,
and can suddenly turn on you because of it. It's not their fault, but a manifestation of
reactions to the past.
Many people have discovered the same with African American community members,
especially the pastors and ministers who have been coming out calling to address Black on Black
violence from in-bred self-hatred and resentment of which Blacks benefit from integrating with
the "White" system and which "don't sell out". So much of this comes from deeply engrained
division where race was used to distinguish slaves by skin color, and to divide the field slaves
from the house slaves to keep them from uniting and liberating themselves from their masters.
Until you've seen someone go through the healing process, you may not understand
all the layers and stages, including some that span multiple generations.
I happen to work with different groups with different approaches to spiritual healing,
so I've seen many versions of the process. It goes very deep, and some of the
healing only happens after the team recognizes the root causes that can date back centuries
into a person's cultural and family past. the human conscience carries a lot more than what
we are conscious of.
Just because we don't perceive, believe or think it's there,
doesn't mean it doesn't still influence a person today.
From looking into therapists who have successfully worked with people on healing,
I found that the common factor is not denying but acknowledging and FORGIVING
the past wounds and causes of injustice.
Pretending they don't exist is like letting disease spread by ignoring the threat.
The point is NOT to hold on to victimhood, but the opposite, to totally let go by cleaning it all out.
This can't happen if people are too busy telling themselves it's already in the past.
if the wounds are not healed, the infection continues and it affects the present and the future.
