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Throughout my years working in American Native communities, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the power of relationship. From the level of community, to family and other interpersonal levels of healing, relationship has been a most necessary catalyst. In the spring of 2018, along with my colleagues at Thrive Unltd., we launched “Re:Define,” a wellness initiative aimed at fostering awareness about and healing from the lingering effects of historical/intergenerational trauma within the Native American population. As we embarked on our journey, working with various communities, we were gifted an invaluable learning experience, as well. As Native American peoples, we hold “family” and “community” with high idealistic regard; however, along the way, it became apparent that the context of these terms had changed and no longer represented the same relationships. The overwhelming stories of various traumas, abuses, and adversities, faced by both young and old, painted a sobering picture of broken connections and withering bonds. This was a difficult truth to acknowledge and address, but it exposed a long-neglected, collective intergenerational wound, detrimental to Native American peoples of today. A common thread throughout all of these stories was the absence of love or the misconception of what a truly healthy connection represents. Read More “Strength in Community, Power in Connection: A Call to Action for All Native People”