Domestic Violence and Intergenerational Trauma Amongst Aboriginal Women in Regina, Saskatchewan

Abstract

The combined effects of colonialist efforts, namely the Indian Residential School System, have had a negative impact on Aboriginal populations in Canada. This project identified a relationship between experiencing intergenerational trauma as a result of attendance at an Indian Residential School and subsequent domestic violence and its normalization in an intimate partner relationship. Through the use of the interview methodology, the researcher collected data from five First Nations women who had previously been victims of domestic violence in an intimate partner relationship and had some connection to the Indian Residential School System in Canada. Results from the interviews were analyzed using thematic network analysis (Attride-Stirling, 2001) in order to assess the relationships between the issues discussed in the data. This research lends to a comprehensive understanding of domestic violence in First Nations female populations and may subsequently assist in the formation of solutions to absolve the aforementioned issue. Keywords: Indian Residential School System, intergenerational trauma, domestic violence, interpersonal violence, Aboriginal/First Nations women