Professional Documents
Culture Documents
‘Indigenous’ spirituality than what much of the western research presents. Mindfulness,
indigenous to parts of Asia. While the scope of this article falls into the field of Social
lifestyle and cultural practices and need to be acknowledged. This article falls somewhat
outside the scope of this project, but does bring additional information into the
conversation.
Entrepreneurship,16(1), 63-83.
Capel’s article provides meaningful insight into the link between mindfulness and
Indigenous knowledge. Aside from the pieces that are specific to management and
entrepreneurship, many of the preliminary research, definitions and findings are crucial
in cultivating the link between mindfulness and Indigenous knowledge. Capel is careful
to not appropriate either concept on the other and purports that “ a proactive alertness
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Annotated Bibliography - Mindfulness and Indigenous Knowledge - Version 2 - April 2019
(p. 64). As such, though mentioning the indigenous contexts worldwide, Capel focuses
on the Indigenous knowledge of Australia and New Zealand. Capel also mentions the
discreditation. The link between Indigenous knowledge and mindfulness is quite explicit
in this piece, and it is stated that “the multiple perspectives approach to [Indigenous
different perspectives and contextual differences” (p. 66). This article provides
meaningful history, context and further steps for finding the connection between
mindfulness and Indigenous knowledge and is a worthwhile read for this project, despite
Health,8(1), 19-31.
Rick Hoffman presents pieces of wisdom and guidance he received from his
friend. Hoffman’s account of Joe P. Cardinal and his wisdom provides great insight into
Cree teachings and draws parallels to many of the pillars of mindfulness. Some of
Cardinal’s key teachings include taking ownership of the journey, understanding that the
self can be the enemy, and learning by doing. The section, entitled “The Journey from
the Heart to the Mind Can Be a Long One” provides interesting concepts of Indigenous
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Le, T. N., & Gobert, J. M. (2015). Translating and implementing a
prevention in this 2015 article. While the focus is more on working with youth, between
the ages of 15 and 20, this research is still valuable for the project and makes some
There are many mentions of mindfulness and its similarities to tribal and traditional
ways. The researchers also brought up the interesting point that it is possible for
than other mental health interventions. The authors explain that throughout the project it
became “apparent that mindfulness is an indigenous way, and this research merely
Louis, D. W., Pratt, Y. P., Hanson, A. J., & Ottmann, J. (2017). Applying
University of Calgary in their attempt to Indigenize their curriculum and teachings. The
professors utilize the 25 Indigenous principles laid out by Maori scholar Linda Tuhiwai
Smith as a framework for how to go about this process. The basic premise of the paper
lower achievement and completion rates, as well as other issues. While the paper does
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not explicitly use the term mindfulness it provides necessary context for the
section Remember, Claiming, and Connecting (p. 23) provides striking parallels
Vangee Nez’s dissertation provides insight into the Diné epistemological concept
of Sa'ah naaghai bik'eh hozhoon (SNBH). This dissertation is particularly useful as the
author equates SNBH to mindfulness throughout, and has a specific section of research
that includes interviews with important Diné elders on their own mindfulness practices
and links to their indigenous heritage. “SNBH practice is to live in the moment, to be
mindful, to be compassionate, akin to Buddhist way of knowing” (p. 149). While this
piece focuses on the Diné of Arizona, many of the sources used for research may
potentially be useful for this project including the work of Yellow Bird (2013), Cajete
(2015), and Sium & Ritskes (2013). Nez received a doctorate of philosophy from the
University of New Mexico and currently works in the Department of Diné Education at
Full Circle provides a personal and in-depth look at Pearkes’ own yoga and
meditation practice. This article, part of a series, focuses on svadhyaya, the self-study.
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Many connections are made between Pearkes’ practice and nature, with metaphors
given to relate to mountain, eagle, and tree. While there is no explicit mention of
Indigenous knowledge, many mentions of earth and nature suggest some links.
Pearkes practices Iyengar yoga in BC and mentions the parallels of working through an
Sasakamoose, J., Bellegarde, T., Sutherland, W., Pete, S., & McKay-McNabb, K.
together Indigenous knowledge and scholarship with the needs of the people. The
key link to mindfulness and uses the work of Michael Yellow Bird. The authors use the
concept of ‘Culture-as-Intervention’ to affect colonial residue and are clear that although
each Indigenous community has its own knowledge, beliefs, and teachings, there are
many unified concepts to be shared. This article provides interesting insight into the
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Schiff, J., & Moore, K. (2006). The impact of the sweat lodge ceremony on
Research,13(3), 48-69.
Schiff and Moore’s article outlines the benefits of sweat lodges to a variety of
different aspects of both physical and mental well-being. While some have compared its
benefits to group therapy, the authors point out that this comparison misses the
important spiritual aspect of the sweat. The authors stress the important of having
Indigenous people involved in the planning and implementation of such programs. The
research used the Heroic Myth Index (HMI) to measure spirituality and emotional well-
being and found that there was, in fact, a change in spirituality and well-being levels
when participating in a sweat lodge. While the article never explicitly mentioned
mindfulness, the methodology and use of the HMI is helpful in exploring to what extent
mindfulness and well-being can be measured and how successful programs may be.
decolonizing social work. In Decolonizing Social Work (1st ed., pp. 293-
brain is affected by the colonial situation and an exploration of mind-brain activities that
change neural networks and enable individuals to overcome the myriad effects of
trauma and oppression inherent in colonialism” (p. 293). Yellow Bird brings up the
important point that mindfulness is seen as both personal, but also part of the collective
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as building self-awareness then allows you to better the world around you. While the
chapter discusses the use of mindfulness in the realm of social work rather than
(https://www.indigenousmindfulness.com/).
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