Revisiting the Real Life Scenario
Joseph
At the beginning of the chapter, we met Joseph who is living rough outside an urban centre and hitchhiking into that centre for necessities. Joseph is a sixties scoop survivor who has struggled with his identity, most likely for a very long time. If you don’t know much about the sixties scoop please do some research in order to understand what this entailed and what Joseph might have experienced.
As Dr. Falvo has indicated, displacement from identity is one of the root causes of homelessness among Indigenous peoples.
We need to ask ourselves:
- Can you imagine the initial trauma Joseph might have experienced being taken from his family at six years of age? Can you imagine the trauma experienced by his family? How does Joseph’s story make you feel?
- How might the lack of success integrating with his on-Reserve family have impacted Joseph’s feelings around his own identity?
- As we have heard from a number of the researchers in this chapter, we must begin with the Indigenous Definition of Homelessness. Give some consideration to the 12 dimensions in this definition. Which of these dimensions stand out for you in Joseph’s story?
- Many of the dimensions of the Indigenous definition of homelessness can also be found in the social determinants of Indigenous health and well-being. What links can you identify?
- If you were working with Indigenous people experiencing homelessness, what would you want to know about the available social service and community support options in the area before recommending an agency?
- Bowra and Mashford-Pringle (2021) speak of the importance of an individual’s perceptions of home. If the goal is to find a home for Joseph, what questions might you ask to determine Joseph’s wishes? What factors would you take into consideration?
- We cannot leave Joseph without giving consideration to the exceptional resiliency he has demonstrated throughout his life. Please take a minute to reflect on this.
