Intergenerational Trauma In There By Tommy Oranges

Intergenerational Trauma in Relation to Native Americans Within the book There There Intergenerational trauma is caused by the trauma of colonization that has been passed down through generations. Tommy Oranges, There There, is a historical fictional novel published on June 5, 2018. The novel explores the lasting impacts of intergenerational trauma on Indigenous People’s lives and communities. Orange illustrates how intergenerational trauma can be passed down through families and communities, as well as how it may surface in different ways through the diverse characters experiencing assimilation and displacement. The characters Opal, Dene, and Jaquie are all grappling with the effects of intergenerational trauma, shaping their experiences

Opal is a survivor of the Indian boarding school system, which was used to strip Native American children from their communities and families, assimilating them into mainstream society. She is presently battling alcoholism and feels disassociated from both her identity and her cultural heritage. Following her life experiences, she mentions how “I have my own stories, my own pain. But it's like I'm carrying the pain of my mother, my grandmother, and all my ancestors. It's heavy. It's too much” (Orange, 53). Opal's statement about carrying the pain of her ancestors suggests that she is aware of the ways in which historical trauma has impacted her cultural identity. This use of the word “carrying” indicates that Opal feels a sense of responsibility for the cultural heritage, but also feels burdened by it. This infers that the loss of cultural knowledge and practices can create a sense of disconnection, as individuals may struggle to reconcile their cultural heritage with the trauma that has been passed down through generations. It is evident this passage represents the complex and multifaceted impacts of intergenerational trauma on cultural identity, and suggests that the loss of cultural identity is a significant consequence of historical and ongoing

The Indian boarding school system also had a direct influence on Jaquie's family. She was taken from her home as a child and separated from her sister before being placed in a white foster home. This traumatic experience has led her to battle addiction and feel disconnected from her cultural roots, as seen in her quote, “It felt like I was living in two different worlds … the white world and the Indian world … and I don't belong in either one.”(Orange, 103) This passage reveals how isolated Jacquie feels as a Native American in a predominantly white society. The phrase “and I don't belong in either one'' implies that she feels significant cultural dissonance and that she struggles to reconcile her Native American cultural identity with the dominant culture around her. This dissimilation Jacquie’s character experienced due to the intergenerational trauma from past generations, forced her to assimilate to mainstream American culture that has historically oppressed her community. Overall, the historical trauma she now bears causes a loss of belonging and identity, creating Indigenous People to feel uncertain about their place in the