Abstract
This chapter explores, through a self-study study approach, one principal's experiences with the implementation and enactment of trauma informed leadership in her Indigenous rural community school. Findings identify the principal's practices of trauma informed leadership and how her approach supports Indigenous cultural revitalization and cultivates relationships between and amongst herself and her school constituents (e.g., students, teachers, staff, parents, other community members). These relationships have enabled her to foster a compassionate, caring, and safe school culture. The conclusions highlight how the practices she employs have resulted in supporting students academically, socially, and emotionally affected by intergenerational trauma and building more capacity in the larger school community. A description of the successes and challenges of her use of the approach, and the approach's transferability to other organizations, is also included in the chapter.
TopContext Of The Study: An Impetus For Change
Over a decade ago, Denise accepted a position in her current school in Wigwasapewit as an elementary principal and she joined a leadership team where she shared the administrative and leadership duties with another leader, the junior school principal. Denise, in her role as a leader, adhered to the school’s discipline policy that had been written and enacted by a previous school administrator. The approach relied upon collaborations between and amongst the leaders, teachers, students, and parents; but unfortunately, not all school constituents adhered to the approach. It included elements of a more traditional approach to modify students’ behaviour.
As a new principal, Denise recognized the benefits of the behaviour policy but felt that the policy could be revised as it seemed that not all students thrived. Upon reflection and consultation with colleagues, Denise recognized that many of the students in her community suffered from trauma. This is not surprising as Indigenous peoples within Canada continue to experience trauma as a direct result of their own and their family members’ attendance at Indian Residential Schools; children were removed from their home communities and forced to attend schools where they experienced abuse (Truth and Reconciliation Commission [TRC], 2015). Government created policies that led to the creation of Indian Residential Schools limited or removed Indigenous peoples’ rights with the goal of extinguishing their culture and language. Brave Heart & Brave Heart Debruyn (1998) similarly attribute the cause of Indigenous peoples’ experience of multi-generational trauma to colonization.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Trauma Informed Leadership: A relational leadership approach designed to support individuals affected by trauma.
Mi’kmaw: Indigenous peoples who have traditionally resided in what is now called Eastern Canada and the United States on lands in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Northern New Brunswick, Eastern Quebec, and Maine.
Culturally Responsive: Demonstrating respect and valuing individuals’ cultural identities and backgrounds by using these identities as sources of knowledge within a learning environment.
Seven Sacred Teachings: The spiritual foundation for Indigenous peoples of Canada and include respect, courage, honesty, truth, love, wisdom, and humility. Each teaching honours a virtue needed to lead a healthy and balanced life to help people learn how to respect themselves, others, and the land.
Relationality: The belief that reality is constituted by relationships and that everyone and everything is connected; relationships are foundational within Indigenous communities.
Behaviour Management: The practices often employed by teachers and school leaders to modify student behaviour.
Restorative Justice: Allowing individuals who have been harmed to communicate openly about the effects of the infraction with those responsible for causing the harm and coming to an agreed upon consequence for the damages caused.