Historical Trauma Theory Summary

I have just recently learned about the Historical Trauma Theory in another class and was eager to learn more about it and its applications to Native American populations. In the article, Brown-Rice provides a very well-rounded evaluation of Historical Trauma and the research surrounding its impact on Native Americans. She uses a framework of three chronological phases to explain how historical trauma impacts a population. The first phase is the implementation of mass traumas on a population, causing multiple forms of devastation (Brown-Rice, n.d.). Brown-Rice continues the chronology by saying that the second phase is when the population responds to the trauma with a variety of symptoms. The third and final phase according to Brown-Rice is when the initial responses to trauma are conveyed to other generations.

In regard to Native American children, Brown-Rice looks at the overrepresentation of Native American children in the child welfare system due to neglect and abuse. She also discusses how alcoholism and mental health disorders plague Native American communities, causing continued stressors on children and their mental and physical wellness. While her analysis of trauma’s impact on neurological functioning was a bit in depth for my purposes, I was pleased to see that that research was also included. Brown-Rice also offers a plethora of statistical data throughout the article, adding to the validity and reliability of her work. Overall, Brown-Rice provided me a very informative look at how Historical Trauma impacts Native American people, especially