Red Girls’ Love, Power, and Resistance: Conversations on Care with Indigenous Girls, Queer, Trans, and Two Spirit Youth

Abstract

The current literature on how Indigenous girls experience mental health interventions and services in Canada is limited. Indigenous girls face disproportionately high rates of physical and sexual victimization, which emphasizes the need for preventative and intervention services to promote their wellbeing. As future Indigenous women, Indigenous girls hold special significance to community and family life with respect to their roles as children and future teachers, healers, and leaders. The current study asked how Indigenous girls experience and described their experiences of care. Utilizing a qualitative Indigenous feminist storytelling approach, this study interviewed nine Indigenous girls (including queer, trans, and Two Spirit youth) regarding their life stories, experiences accessing traditional, community, and westernized mental health supports to obtain insights on their perspectives of strengths and barriers of care. Results included identification of six themes: Re-Storying Challenging Childhood Experiences, Care that is Uncaring, Collective and Reciprocal Healing, Small, Everyday Acts, Barriers to Health and Wellbeing, and Decolonizing Care Practices. Limitations, conclusions, and implications for mental health practice engaging with Indigenous girls and communities are also discussed.