Grief Through an Indigenous Lens: Examining the Impacts of Collective Grief and Resilience of Indigenous Students

<p dir="ltr">This research paper delves into the intricacies of grief through an Indigenous lens, comparing its interpretation to conventional views. While conventional understanding portrays grief as an individual's emotional response to personal loss, this study contends that, from an Indigenous perspective, grief is a communal sentiment and an appropriate and reasonable response to living in a colonial environment. The ongoing colonial structures within colonial environments are supported by government or university policies, creating hidden systemic barriers for Indigenous students. In this study, I draw on my experience as a university Academic Coordinator and as an Indigenous graduate student to highlight barriers and make suggestions to improve the educational experience of Indigenous students. Moreover, I honour an Indigenous methodology through storytelling and personal insights to acknowledge the inevitability of bias, rooted in Western cultural influence, thereby transparently contextualizing my standpoint. </p><p dir="ltr">Keywords: Indigenous Peoples, Grief, Indigenous Students, Collective Experience, Resilience</p>