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14
until belonging happened. That’s true for youth
and adults. Dr. Brokenleg added that if it was
possible to make belonging happen, it was possible
to make anything happen. Canada was in major
danger, as Canadian families were coming apart
-belonging was more necessary than anything
else. In times of crisis, it was important to tell the
person in crisis that nothing they could do would
break their love for them.
Belonging remained one of the greatest
strengths that Aboriginal communities possessed.
It was a gift that could be given to the world. Doing
so would strengthen people and help see them
through any crisis.
Mastery was the second theme discussed,
depicted by ravens. Dr. Brokenleg shared that
ravens were an appropriate reference when
considering the story of a hotel doorman who
would toss acorns near the entrance to attract
squirrels, which entertained the hotel guests.
Ravens would pick up the acorns and drop them
from high above so they would break open on the
sidewalk.
Dr. Brokenleg noted that many reserves gazed
at problems and had forgotten what they could do.
Instead they should glance at problems and gaze at
solutions, to create resiliency. He spoke of a school
where the kids were not getting an afternoon
recess because they were taking too long to eat
lunch. The kids were challenged to come up with
a solution. They determined that if there were
condiments on each table it would make lunch go
faster. As such, they held a fundraiser and used the
money earned to buy condiments for each table.
The kids learned through this process that if they
had a problem they could fix it.
He explained that most arguments with a three
year old were about whether or not they would
be allowed to do something themselves. This was
exactly what a 16 year old argued for, and the
same thing that a nursing home resident wanted.
There was a universal need for people to have
mastery.
Independence was the third theme that Dr.
Brokenleg discussed, which was represented by the
image of an eagle. Independence was not about
being alone and self-sufficient, it was about being
responsible for oneself - about empowerment.
He shared the story of his son, who at the age of
five had a fever and needed to take medication.
While he took the first dose willingly, he had to
be forced to take the second dose because of
the terrible flavour. For the third dose, his father
offered him the choice of taking the medication on
a fancy spoon or a plain one. The child chose the
fancy spoon and then willingly took the medicine.
The story illustrated that providing choices was
effective, although care was needed in considering
the choices offered.
Dr. Brokenleg shared that discipline was
empowering as it taught people to be responsible
at one level so they could go on to the next. He
noted that empowerment was the experience of
one’s own power, achieved through discipline and
allowing a child more and more responsibility,
similar to the old potlatch tradition of borrowing
blankets and paying back one or two more than
were borrowed.
Dr. Brokenleg discussed the fourth theme of
Generosity, which fulfilled the human need to
know one’s own goodness and was represented by
the wolf, who did not eat alone. He added that the
first thing a person lost in a crisis was the sense of
their own goodness.
In conclusion, Dr. Brokenleg explained that the
four themes depicted by the killer whale, wolf,
eagle and raven, comprised the major First Nation
crests. Addressing all four themes created a person
whose strength was on the inside, so that they
did not have to be controlled from the outside.
Anyone could face life with these four themes. Dr.
Brokenleg offered that the job of First Nations was
to teach children to be strong on the inside, and to
know that adults needed these experiences as well.
In his first book “Dancing Healers”, Dr. Brokenleg
wrote about coming from a non-native world
to dealing with native clients. “Theft of the Spirit”
was an account of caring about children. He emphasized
that the Circle of Courage psychology
would create strong youth, as it was the wisdom of
First Nation ancestors, verified even by science as
a best practice. Children were acknowledged as a
reward and the promise of what was yet to come.
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SECONd ANNUAl FORUm