Healing The Warrior's Heart Analysis
From the film Healing the Warrior’s Heart, I learned that for centuries American Indians had unique ways of treating PTSD on returning soldiers. For example, centuries ago the Blackfeet Tribe had their warriors go through a sweat lodge before going to battle to get purified in order to get strength and be protected. When the warriors returned from war, they would get cleansed in the sweat lodge. I learned that the reason the warriors had to go through a sweat lodge when they came back from war was to wash all of the negative things they experienced. After the cleansing, the warriors were able to go back to their families in a good way. I also learned that in other American Indian tribes, when warriors returned from war they needed to go inside
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a teepee. Only elderly warriors and medicine people could visit them. The film helped me become aware that that Blackfeet Tribe and other tribes believe that ceremonies are necessary for the healing process. Throughout the film, I learned that in ceremonies the participants have to think positive, for example a veteran will need to try hard to think positive when he or she is inside a sweat lodge. All in all, I was able to see that the ceremonies are all sacred and that American Indian tribes have different ancient healing traditions to help veterans with PTSD.
2. The sweat lodge ceremony is used for healing PTSD among Native veterans by cleansing a veteran, so that their spirit can come out. Craig Falcoh, a veteran in the film, stated, “the horrible things you see at war are your enemies, they hate you”. Falcoh explained that those negative things are bad spirits that follow and get attached to soldiers. In the film, it was explained that in a sweat lodge the medicine people will go through various prayers and songs that call the spirits to help the veterans create a safe place to release their emotions. The veterans there all sweat off the things that are bothering them and that those things stay in the sweat lodge. Hence, the sweat lodge ceremony is used to healing PTSD among native veterans by focusing on cleansing. In the film, a veteran named Martin Connelly discussed how the sweat lodge ceremony helped him cope with PTSD. Connelly explained that when he returned from war, the VA Hospital prescribed him medication for PTSD. However, Connelly mentioned that the medications did not work, and was given pills one after the other. Connelly took measures on his own to cope with PTSD by getting closer to his culture and practicing ceremonies. Connelly stated that the sweat lodge helped him heal from PTSD and to strengthened his spirituality. All in all, Connelly explained that the sweat lodge helped him feel at peace within himself.
3.
The Boarding School Policy which began in the late 1860s forced American Indian children to live in schools that were farther away from the reservation. The goal of the policy was to assimilate American Indian tribes into the mainstream American culture. I think that this policy caused pain to parents and children because they had to be separated from each other. For example, I think that this policy caused emotional pain to children because most children as young as six years old had to be sent to boarding schools. Considering that children at six years of age do not have the skill to understand policies, I am assuming that most of them thought their parents did not love them or they were being punished. In addition, I think children were emotionally hurt from this policy because they were the ones that were forced to learn English, and battered when they spoke their native language. I think that by forcing children to assimilate to the mainstream American culture caused American Indian youth to become confused about their identity. I think that the experiences the children went through in boarding schools was traumatic because boarding schools belittled them and disrespected their culture. I think that the Boarding School Policy also caused psychological pain and stress to parents because they were forced to send their young children to schools that were in the West. I think that parents felt hopeless and a sense of loss. The Boarding School Policy caused transgenerational trauma and the negative results of the policy can still be seen in today’s American Indian families. Overall, I felt sad to hear about the Boarding School Policy because the policy separated families and discriminated American Indians. I also felt disappointed to learn that American Indians were treated unfair and disrespected. All in all, I think that the Boarding School Policy should be discussed about more because the effects of the policy are still evident and are an issue in American
Indian families.
4. There were two guest speakers that came to our class to share their story. I chose to write about Sarita McGowan because her presentation touched my heart. I liked that she opened to us about her past struggles/experiences with alcohol, abuse, depression, and growing up as an urban American Indian. Listening to the factors that caused her to be an alcoholic, made me recall the fact that there are high rates of substance abuse in American Indian youth. As a result, I began to reflect about one of the factors that caused high rates of substance abuse among American Indian youth which is the trauma caused from the Boarding School Policy. Hence, McGowan’s story helped me understand the impact boarding schools currently have on American Indian families. Moreover, I was motivated to hear how McGowan overcame both her struggles and alcoholism, by participating in American Indian’s traditions. All in all, I enjoyed to hear that by learning about her culture and engaging in rituals resulted in positive outcomes. One positive outcome that McGowan found was her identity as an American Indian female. Another thing I enjoyed about McGowan’s presentation was the she shared an eagle’s feather, her medicine bag, and pictures of the outfit she uses in Pow Wows. I felt honored and privileged to hold the eagle’s feather because eagle’s feathers are considered sacred to American Indians. Overall, her presentation was powerful to me because she explained how she overcame her struggles by getting involved with her cultural roots and is able to give back to her community by helping American Indians who are struggling with alcohol, abuse, depression and/or incarcerated.
a teepee. Only elderly warriors and medicine people could visit them. The film helped me become aware that that Blackfeet Tribe and other tribes believe that ceremonies are necessary for the healing process. Throughout the film, I learned that in ceremonies the participants have to think positive, for example a veteran will need to try hard to think positive when he or she is inside a sweat lodge. All in all, I was able to see that the ceremonies are all sacred and that American Indian tribes have different ancient healing traditions to help veterans with PTSD.
2. The sweat lodge ceremony is used for healing PTSD among Native veterans by cleansing a veteran, so that their spirit can come out. Craig Falcoh, a veteran in the film, stated, “the horrible things you see at war are your enemies, they hate you”. Falcoh explained that those negative things are bad spirits that follow and get attached to soldiers. In the film, it was explained that in a sweat lodge the medicine people will go through various prayers and songs that call the spirits to help the veterans create a safe place to release their emotions. The veterans there all sweat off the things that are bothering them and that those things stay in the sweat lodge. Hence, the sweat lodge ceremony is used to healing PTSD among native veterans by focusing on cleansing. In the film, a veteran named Martin Connelly discussed how the sweat lodge ceremony helped him cope with PTSD. Connelly explained that when he returned from war, the VA Hospital prescribed him medication for PTSD. However, Connelly mentioned that the medications did not work, and was given pills one after the other. Connelly took measures on his own to cope with PTSD by getting closer to his culture and practicing ceremonies. Connelly stated that the sweat lodge helped him heal from PTSD and to strengthened his spirituality. All in all, Connelly explained that the sweat lodge helped him feel at peace within himself.
3.
The Boarding School Policy which began in the late 1860s forced American Indian children to live in schools that were farther away from the reservation. The goal of the policy was to assimilate American Indian tribes into the mainstream American culture. I think that this policy caused pain to parents and children because they had to be separated from each other. For example, I think that this policy caused emotional pain to children because most children as young as six years old had to be sent to boarding schools. Considering that children at six years of age do not have the skill to understand policies, I am assuming that most of them thought their parents did not love them or they were being punished. In addition, I think children were emotionally hurt from this policy because they were the ones that were forced to learn English, and battered when they spoke their native language. I think that by forcing children to assimilate to the mainstream American culture caused American Indian youth to become confused about their identity. I think that the experiences the children went through in boarding schools was traumatic because boarding schools belittled them and disrespected their culture. I think that the Boarding School Policy also caused psychological pain and stress to parents because they were forced to send their young children to schools that were in the West. I think that parents felt hopeless and a sense of loss. The Boarding School Policy caused transgenerational trauma and the negative results of the policy can still be seen in today’s American Indian families. Overall, I felt sad to hear about the Boarding School Policy because the policy separated families and discriminated American Indians. I also felt disappointed to learn that American Indians were treated unfair and disrespected. All in all, I think that the Boarding School Policy should be discussed about more because the effects of the policy are still evident and are an issue in American
Indian families.
4. There were two guest speakers that came to our class to share their story. I chose to write about Sarita McGowan because her presentation touched my heart. I liked that she opened to us about her past struggles/experiences with alcohol, abuse, depression, and growing up as an urban American Indian. Listening to the factors that caused her to be an alcoholic, made me recall the fact that there are high rates of substance abuse in American Indian youth. As a result, I began to reflect about one of the factors that caused high rates of substance abuse among American Indian youth which is the trauma caused from the Boarding School Policy. Hence, McGowan’s story helped me understand the impact boarding schools currently have on American Indian families. Moreover, I was motivated to hear how McGowan overcame both her struggles and alcoholism, by participating in American Indian’s traditions. All in all, I enjoyed to hear that by learning about her culture and engaging in rituals resulted in positive outcomes. One positive outcome that McGowan found was her identity as an American Indian female. Another thing I enjoyed about McGowan’s presentation was the she shared an eagle’s feather, her medicine bag, and pictures of the outfit she uses in Pow Wows. I felt honored and privileged to hold the eagle’s feather because eagle’s feathers are considered sacred to American Indians. Overall, her presentation was powerful to me because she explained how she overcame her struggles by getting involved with her cultural roots and is able to give back to her community by helping American Indians who are struggling with alcohol, abuse, depression and/or incarcerated.