From Resilience to Survivance

In: Contexts / American Sociological Association: understanding people in their social worlds, Volume 21, Issue 1, p. 60-63

Abstract

In Indigenous communities, knowing a missing or murdered Indigenous person is the norm, not an exception—a consequence of traumatic past and ongoing policies and practices. We summarize the history of North American governments– genocidal policies toward Indigenous Peoples and how these policies created and now perpetuate present-day institutions that exacerbate exposure to violence. We also describe survey data from a longitudinal study called Healing Pathways, arguing that we must create a society in which resilience is not necessary for survival.