Trauma-Informed Practice Through an Etuaptmumk Lens: A Critical Review (November 2024)

When encouraging students to engage in self-reflective practice, it is pertinent to establish one’s positionality as an educator; this provides learners the opportunity to critically consider their own positionality as budding academic writers. Fernsten and Reda (2011) explored innovative ways to increase a student’s sense of self-worth and confidence as a writer through various reflective practices in the classroom. Fernsten and Reda (2011) recognized the need for innovative approaches to address the gap between privileged and marginalized students (pp. 173); however, their solutions to students’ intersecting identities did not consider the value of implementing a trauma-informed approach. In the social work profession, trauma-informed practice is considered the basis for practitioner-client relations (Mersky, Topitzes & Britz, 2019) and this dynamic can extend into the classroom with similar positive outcomes (Carello, & Butler, 2015). In Canada, social workers’ Code of Ethics reflects their duty to pursue truth and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples (Canadian Association of Social Workers, 2024). The scope of this critical review is considering how effective Fernsten and Reda’s (2011) approach is in educational environments with Indigenous students. In the spirit of social work, a Two Eyed Seeing approach incorporated into a northern post-secondary environment invites trauma-informed practice for critical self-reflection.

Within the field of social work, trauma-informed practice is defined as:

The ways in which violence, victimization, and other traumatic experiences may have impacted the lives of the individuals involved and to apply that understanding to the design of systems and provision of services so they accommodate trauma survivors’ needs and are consonant with healing and recovery. (Carello & Butler, 2015, pp. 264).

Social work is like education, where the educator (practitioner) engages with students (clients) who are new to the environment and may have preconceived notions about their sense of self or worth before entering the shared space. Fernsten and Reda (2011) describe their concern as, “issues, such as race, class, and gender as part of the social and political considerations of language and as marginalizing factors for many basic writers” (pp. 173). To ensure the classroom is a safer or brave space for students to authentically explore their identity as a writer based on their intersecting identities and lived experiences, the educator is responsible in developing and strengthening their own approach to teaching self-reflective practices. Social Work Educators Campbell and Baikie (2021) collaborated to develop a process called “critically reflective analysis (CRA)” which, “requires educators to work within a specific theoretical perspective and pedagogical framework” (pp. 98-99).

Critically reflective analysis invites students to, “explicitly and intentionally unearth, scrutinize, and, if necessary, change problematic fundamental values, assumptions, and beliefs (VABs) that inform personal, cultural, and professional perspectives, as well as behaviours” (Campbell & Baikie, 2021, pp. 99). If delivered outside of social work education, educators from all fields would develop the ability to rethink their own understanding of what knowledge is, how it is constructed, and how the academy can embrace, “transformative, transcultural, and Indigenous perspectives and pedagogies” (Campbell & Baikie, 2021, pp. 99). By implementing a CRA approach in the classroom, educators are further prepared to support their students navigating the process of unlearning and relearning their identity and style as academic writers. If Indigenous students can engage with written assignments in ways that align with their own ways of knowing, beliefs, and values, they would likely develop a stronger sense of confidence in their written work; this can only occur if educators themselves are open to and comfortable with knowledge systems other than their own and that of the academy. The problem arises when students are asked to reflect upon their perspectives without consideration being clearly given to the needs of those whose experiences may include intergenerational layers of trauma and victimization. This critical need for trauma-informed self-reflective practice is intensified when considering the “cultural genocide” (The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015b, pp. 5) of Indigenous children at the hands of residential and day schools and considering the impact of this cultural genocide on intergenerational survivors of these violent colonial systems.

Indigenous students at residential schools describe classroom life as, “foreign and traumatic,” (The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015a, pp. 121). Fernsten and Reda (2011) mention how some students may struggle to develop a sense of self as a writer, “especially those whose home discourses differ significantly from those of the academy” (pp. 181). The authors acknowledge how marginalized students face additional barriers in the classroom, however, they do not offer any specific solutions for educators; they do not consider how learning more about these potential adverse experiences as the educator will prepare them to better support their students by adopting a trauma-informed practice. The authors go on to explore how writers who may feel like “outsiders” need to “assume new value systems and cultural practice” (Fernsten & Reda, 2011, pp. 172-173) to better fit into the academy. Considering the harm residential schools enacted upon Indigenous children to indoctrinate them into colonial belief systems (The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015a, pp. 87), this approach of teaching new value systems and cultural practices may be retraumatizing to residential school survivors and intergenerational survivors who are already distrustful of teachers in classroom settings. Self-reflection classroom activities can be adapted for use in a northern post-secondary environments by utilizing a CRA framework which provides space for ways of knowing that may challenge or otherwise disagree with western and colonial pedagogies. While this may be new territory and feel intimidating for the educator, especially non-Indigenous educators, those redeveloping their class materials through a Two-Eyed Seeing lens may have more success.

Etuaptmumk or Two-Eyed Seeing (E/TES) is a Mi’kmaw teaching dating back to early colonial contact and was a way for L’nu (Mi’kmaw) Peoples to adapt to the constant changes occurring in their way of life (Sylliboy et al., 2021). It was introduced to the world of research by Elder Albert Marshall and in his words, “Two-Eyed Seeing refers to learning to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing and from the other eye with the strengths of Western ways of knowing and to using both of these eyes together” (Bartlett, Marshall & Marshall, 2012, p. 335). Etuaptmumk is a way of viewing the world that considers how to braid Indigenous and western worldviews and perspectives together to build a better future for everyone. Educators referring to Fernsten and Reda’s (2011) approach to self-reflection can use a Two-Eyed Seeing lens and intentionally continue redeveloping their assignments while considering the needs of Indigenous students in northern post-secondary education; by considering the impact of colonization and intergenerational trauma from residential schools, practicing educators may turn to a trauma-informed approach and/or critically reflective analysis to further develop their approaches to teaching self-reflection in a classroom setting.

Fernsten and Reda (2011) introduce classroom activities wherein students are asked to write responses to various self-reflection questions prompting the student to describe their experiences as a writer (pp. 174). The authors emphasize the importance of this exercise including a written requirement, yet this may be overwhelming, triggering, or otherwise discouraging to Indigenous students whose culture embraces oral traditions and storytelling. Epistemic racism is defined as, “...the knowledge and ways of being and knowing of non-mainstream individuals as non-existent or inferior, and solely values dominant groups’ knowledge by placing them as superior,” (Fall, 2023, pp. 1). By using a trauma-informed Etuaptmumk approach, educators are better equipped to recognize this as potentially disruptive to Indigenous learners’ growth in becoming confident and successful academic writers.

Educators can address this concern by splitting the same assignment into two parts: first, students are asked to reflect upon the same questions and choose to either write their response or share their thoughts orally in a class discussion. By holding space and amplifying the importance of oral tradition, the educator is creating a safer classroom space for Indigenous students to see themselves as successful storytellers learning to adapt their skills to a written work. Educators who reinforce the notion that written storytelling is the only valid or correct method may be perpetuating epistemic racism to intergenerational survivors who engage in traditional oral storytelling and whose family members and ancestors were punished for speaking their native languages (The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015a, pp. 47). In reducing the amount of ostracization and isolation in an educational setting, Indigenous students will likely have high rates of engagement in the classroom which could reflect in higher grades and more confidence as writers.

In the Northwest Territories, it is common for positions to be filled by those who must relocate to the territory as opposed to positions filled by northerners (Hudson & Minogue, 2023). As such, many employees working in northern post-secondary education within the territory are engaging with Indigenous students cross-culturally. Should these educators have access to the appropriate training, education, and skill-development for successful trauma-informed practice through an Etuaptmumk lens, it is very likely that students would feel safer to participate in classroom settings. It is the duty of educators to learn more about the trauma their students may face, especially regarding Indigeneity, race, gender, class, and ability, so they are more prepared to notice signs of distress or distrust from their students; a mindful educator is a responsive educator.

While Fernsten and Reda’s (2011) approaches to classroom self-reflection exercises were developed before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada published the 94 Calls to Action (Government of Canada, 2024), their method can easily be redeveloped through a trauma-informed Two-Eyed Seeing lens. Campbell and Baikie (2021) introduce another method of self-reflection in the classroom that can be adapted by users of Fernsten and Reda’s (2011) technique which encourages the educator to continually seek new and innovative ways to engage with students. By blending these two methods in alignment with an Etuaptmumk approach, educators have a higher change of viewing their own teachings methods through critical self-reflection. If more educators were cognizant of their positionality as authority figures in a classroom with Indigenous leaners, they would likely be more aware of how this power imbalance may impact intergenerational survivors of residential schools. Educators who choose to embrace trauma-informed approaches within northern post-secondary environments can better support Indigenous students as they (re)discover their strength as storytellers, build confidence as academic writers, and explore their own identity as Indigenous scholars. Not only will this impact individual and collective learners, but this experience also has the potential to expand the educator’s positionality in the north and better prepare them to continue engaging cross-culturally with Indigenous learners in a good way.

References

Bartlett, C., Marshall, M., Marshall, A. (2012). Two-eyed seeing and other lessons learned within a co-learning journey of bringing together indigenous and mainstream knowledges and ways of knowing. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 2, 331–340.

Campbell, C., & Baikie, G. (2021). The practice of critically reflective analysis. In Csiernik, R., & Hillock, S. (Eds.), Teaching Social Work: Reflections on Pedagogy and Practice (pp. 98-111). University of Toronto Press.

Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2024). CASW Code of Ethics, Values and Guiding Principles 2024. https://www.casw-acts.ca/en/casw-code-ethics-2024 

Carello, J., & Butler, L. D. (2015). Practicing What We Teach: Trauma-Informed Educational Practice. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 35(3), 262–278. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2015.1030059 

Fall, M., S., B. (2023). Introducing “Trans~Resistance”: Translingual Literacies as Resistance to Epistemic Racism and Raciolinguistic Discourses in Schools. Societies, (13), 190-214. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13080190 

Fernsten, L. A., Reda, M. (2011). Helping Students Meet the Challenges of Academic Writing. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(2), 171-182. http://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2010.507306 

Government of Canada (2024). Delivering on Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action. https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1524494530110/1557511412801 

Hudson, A., & Minogue, S. (2023, January 17). N.W.T. gov’t workforce grew 25% over past 5 years. Canadian Broadcast Corporation. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nwt-public-sector-job-growth-1.6716008 

Mersky, J. P., Topitzes, J., & Britz, L. (2019). Promoting Evidence-Based, Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice. Journal of Social Work Education, 55(4), 645–657. https://0-doi-org.aupac.lib.athabascau.ca/10.1080/10437797.2019.1627261

Sylliboy, J. R., Latimer, M., Marshall, E. A., & MacLeod, E. (2021). Communities take the lead: exploring Indigenous health research practices through Two-Eyed Seeing & kinship. International journal of circumpolar health, 80(1), 1929755. https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2021.1929755 

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015a). The Survivors Speak: A Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (Report No. ISBN 978-0-660-01985-7). Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015b). What We Have Learned: Principles of Truth and Reconciliation. (Report No. ISBN 978-0-660-02073-0). Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication.