Sacramento, California – February 13, 2025– Intergenerational trauma is complex and deeply embedded in our personal and collective histories. Many people may not be ready to unlearn what they have been taught or willing to heal what has been broken. However, to better understand ourselves, we must examine our family histories, when possible, the land we occupy, and broader struggles that provide insight into what has shaped our world. Recognizing these historical patterns and their impact on our lives today allows us to move forward toward a brighter future.
Today, it may seem that we are at a breaking point in our society, where cycles of trauma continue to resurface no matter how hard we try to quell them. Every time we think the fight is over—or at least one step closer to resolution—a new battle begins, and we find ourselves back where we started, or worse. Older generations are undoubtedly exhausted from seeing the same cycles repeat, while social media now amplifies societal divisions, exposing extreme ideological opposition. Powerful structures thrive on that division because meeting people where they are in their journey takes effort and a willingness to engage. As my cultural teachers would say, “you have to be willing to do the work.” Healing ourselves and our communities is what allows us to envision a different world—one that challenges harmful systems and ideals. It is an immense task that requires deep understanding, patience, and compassion, but we must persist.
Sometimes healing requires embracing the Let Them approach, as described by Mel Robbins. This means recognizing what is beyond our control and focusing our energy on what we can build and preserve. Setting boundaries—prioritizing mental health, self-esteem, work-life balance, and healthy relationships—is essential. Through working on ourselves, we create more opportunities to work on our society and shape the future we want to see—one where trauma no longer keeps us trapped in cycles of violence and oppression.
Many Indigenous cosmologies contain teachings that address trauma and its effects, using terms such as separation sickness, soul sickness, oppression illness, blood sickness, and susto, a Mexican Indigenous concept understood as las cargas, or the burdens that we pass down to our younger generations. These conditions embody the transference of intergenerational trauma, which stems from historical losses of food, culture, people, community, land, identity, language, cosmology, and spiritual practices. The violent means of assimilation, including corporal and inhumane punishments, only deepen these wounds. Across disciplines and traditions, the shared belief is that struggle and hardship have a way of being passed down through generations.
The term “unpacking” is often used when discussing these deeply ingrained behaviors and societal structures. These patterns are learned from an early age and are layered with implications and preconceived notions. Some refuse to acknowledge intergenerational trauma’s existence, while others bear the weight of questioning societal norms. It is often easier to accept and perpetuate harmful systems when they provide privilege and comfort. For those who blend into dominant society, there is little incentive to think outside of that worldview. However, multiple perspectives and ways of navigating the world exist. Disagreement does not inherently equate to being right or wrong, but we must find ways to coexist without causing harm to one another.
A distressing example of intergenerational trauma is found in the experiences of gender-expansive Two-Spirit individuals. Many of us grew up believing that rigid gender roles were an inherent part of our heritage. While this may be true for some, for others, pre-contact ways of life honored and uplifted Two-Spirit identities rather than condemning them. The imposition of coloniality, and European instruments as the gender binary, has not only impacted Two-Spirit people but has also contributed to a broader disconnection from culture and heritage. Many urban Native individuals have never had the opportunity to learn their traditional language, connect with ancestral foods, or hear their people’s creation stories and these losses are direct manifestations of colonial trauma.
Recently, there was an infographic shared by Dr. Stephanie O. Little Hawk-Big Crow, an Oglala Lakota scholar. While she is not the original creator, she was given permission to share it by a presenter at a conference in Phoenix, Arizona. She has since publicly encouraged others to share it as well. The graphic, titled “Transference of Intergenerational Trauma,” illustrates four generations of trauma transference. SNAHC adapted the original image to create our version, shown below.
The visual representation illustrates how trauma can originate with a great-grandmother, whose suffering may have included forced removal from ancestral lands, forced assimilation, cultural disconnection, physical abuse, and identity confusion—often due to government policies and societal pressures. One modern example of this type of trauma is tribal disenrollment, a growing issue over the last 15 years. According to Native News Online, over 11,000 people have been affected and a new documentary, You’re No Indian, directed by Ryan Flynn, aims to “amplify the voices of those impacted and spark meaningful conversations” and is set for release later this year.
Intergenerational trauma continues to affect our communities in various ways. It often manifests as behavioral health struggles such as depression, anxiety, and suicidality; cycles of child abuse, domestic violence, and substance misuse; and even internalized oppression, which can evolve into lateral oppression. Lateral oppression occurs when individuals within the same community turn against each other, perpetuating harm rooted in deeply ingrained colonial violence.
To address this issue, our Native youth program, SPARK, created a short film titled, It Starts with You. The youth involved with this project cleverly found a way to depict what intergenerational trauma could look like. It begins with a guardian and youth in a kitchen cleaning. The youth drops a plate, and the guardian intensifies the situation by screaming and becoming violent with the youth. The plate breaking is a powerful symbol of the fragility of a child’s emotions, representing how a child’s emotional and psychological well-being can be tethered to their parents & caregivers well-being. Just as a broken plate cannot return to its original state, the scars of trauma linger, shaping a child’s perception of themselves and the world. In the next scene, we see the child who experienced the traumatic event in the role of a guardian. When the youth breaks a plate, the other decides to end the cycle of abuse and chooses to help them pick up the pieces showing that whatever is broken can always be put back together. This moment serves as a hopeful reminder that cycles of trauma can be disrupted through acts of kindness, understanding, and healing. If something is broken, can it be fixed? The answer to that is ultimately subjective. The past is unchangeable, and in many American history textbooks, the history and genocide of our people remains largely overlooked. Whether these “history” books remember or accurately portray us is secondary. What truly matters is the legacy that lives on through those we love – the healthier individuals we raise, influence, teach, and ultimately pass down our ways too. These individuals, in turn, contribute to creating a healthier community and healthier generations to follow, that is what’s within our control.
As Roseanne Carmen Tomelty-Rosenthal notes in More than Repatriation: Native American Student Narratives of Intergenerational Trauma, Native communities experience higher rates of psychosocial issues than other ethnic groups. Understanding intergenerational trauma is not just an academic or historical exercise—it is an ongoing issue essential in the healing journey. Acknowledging and addressing these wounds allows us to break harmful cycles and build a future rooted in cultural resilience and collective well-being.
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Support Services:
Watch here! It Starts With You SPARK, 2024
It Starts with You is a video developed by Native youth from our SPARK program. A Native youth initiative aiming to create behavior change marketing campaigns to ignite change in their community. This video explores intergenerational trauma and the strength of healing. To heal our community, we must heal and connect within ourselves. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm, please text or call 988 or any of the helplines listed below!
StrongHearts Native Helpline:
StrongHearts Native Helpline is a safe, anonymous, and confidential domestic and sexual violence helpline for Native Americans and Alaska Natives, offering support and advocacy.
Call: 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483)
Website: https://strongheartshelpline.org/get-help
Click on the chat icon to connect one-on-one with an advocate 24/7/365.
Call Blackline:
Is a peer-support hotline by and for Black, Black TLGBTQI+, Brown, Native, and Muslim communities. Call, text, or download the app.
Call/Text: 1 (800) 604-5841
Website: https://www.callblackline.com/
Thrive Lifeline:
We are experienced suicide interveners who will help keep you safe during times of acute mental health crises. If you are not in an acute crisis, but are dealing with stress as you navigate identity, orientation, or barriers to academic and professional entry, we can help! We are here to support your whole-self and we’re happy to help you during these troubling times.
THRIVE Lifeline offers 24/7/365 judgment-free, confidential text messaging to individuals aged 18+.
Website: https://thrivelifeline.org/
Text Service: Please text “THRIVE” to begin your conversation with us 24/7/365, from anywhere: 1 (313) 662-8209
Trans Lifeline:
Peer support phone service ran by Trans people for Trans and Questioning peers.
Call: (877) 565-8860
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Sacramento Native American Health Center is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Federally Qualified Health Center committed to continue and share the legacy of a healthy American Indian / Alaska Native community based on cultural values delivered through a traditional, innovative and accessible patient-centered health home. SNAHC offers primary care, oral health, behavioral health, specialty, and supportive services in Midtown and South Sacramento plus a school-based health center. We are open to all, and all are welcome. For more information on SNAHC, visit www.snahc.org or call 916-341-0575 for an appointment.
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