While many current social work practices often pathologise Indigenous youth through the Western medical model that views differences as a deficit, a decolonial approach requires a shift toward a decolonised framework which Ansloos et al. references as “Radical Care” (2021). This model, which is grounded in intergenerational reciprocity and land-based relationality, reframes unique identities such as neurodiversity, not as disorders to be treated, but as sacred gifts that are essential to the community as a whole.

The current problem of fat phobia in Canadian healthcare is one that has caused significant harm within our healthcare system and continues to limit people’s access to necessary care and support. This problem has been exacerbated by the creation of clinical tools, like the Body Mass Index (BMI) system. The BMI further cemented this historical bias into our healthcare system by reducing complex human bodies down to a single metric. Originating from a history of colonisation and racism, fat phobia is now deeply ingrained within the Canadian healthcare system where it continues to cause measurable harms that fuel profound health inequity.

This research paper explores the complex and challenging topic of intergenerational trauma in the Indigenous populations of what is colonially known as Canada. The main focus of this paper is on the historical sources of trauma resulting from colonization and on how trauma is passed down from one generation to the next to continue affecting people who never experienced the original traumatic event(s). Utilizing research sources and articles from both Indigenous and non-indigenous sources, this paper explores how epigenetics, disrupted family dynamics, and cultural losses play a role in perpetuating this trauma and making future generations more sensitive to trauma.