Connell, Jordan Jess2019-11-072019-11-072019https://hdl.handle.net/1794/25007108 pagesNative American women are one of the most highly abused populations in the United States. This fact, coupled with their roles as culture bearers and their integral part in the survival of tribal cultures, makes efforts to heal their trauma essential. This historical trauma is the result of centuries of abuse endured at the hands of colonization, a structure which has systematically attacked the Native woman’s autonomy, body, culture, power, sexuality, and pride through legal, political, social, and economic means. The effects of this trauma be cured greatly by an embrace of traditions and incorporation of cultural practices into healing efforts. In this thesis, I present research regarding historical trauma, its origins, and its effects on Native women, as well as attempts made by Western mental health institutions and Native scholars to construct a framework from which to approach healing these historically traumatic consequences. I argue that incorporation and utilization of cultural practices and traditional mental health processes is the most effective way to combat historical trauma. I also provide findings from a focus group I conducted and use both this and the literature research to inform the development of an Indigenous Women’s Wellness Group curriculum intervention.en-USCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-USFamily and Human ServicesNative AmericanHistorical TraumaIndigenousNative WomenTraditionsThesis/Dissertation