Abstract
Conquest and colonization have systematically disrupted the processes by which Indigenous communities of the Americas transmit cultural knowledge and practices from one generation to the next. Even today, the extended arms of conquest and colonization that sustain oppression and culturicide continue to inflict trauma upon Indigenous people. Yet, current scientific research now attests to how Indigenous cultural practices promote healing and well-being within physical as well as mental health domains. This examination addresses Indigenous cultural practices related to storytelling, music, and dance. In drawing from evidence-based research, the case is made for not only restoring these practices where they have been disrupted for Indigenous people but that they have value for all people. The authors recommend reintroducing their use as a means to promote physical, spiritual, and mental well-being while recognizing that these practices originated from and exist for Indigenous people.
Originally published in Genealogy 2019, 3, 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy3010006
© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Reprinted with permission.
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Borunda, R., Murray, A. (2024). The Wisdom and Science Behind Indigenous Cultural Practices. In: Murray, A., Borunda, R. (eds) Disrupting Racism in US Schools. Palgrave Studies in Race, Inequality and Social Justice in Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-49562-5_5
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