Diane Hill (Katsitsawaks) is a member of the Bear clan of the Mohawk Nation situated in the Grand River Territory of the Six Nations. For 21 years, Diane has worked as an independent consultant specializing in the design, development and delivery of community-based training programs for Aboriginal people. Currently, Diane works as a consultant with the First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) in the area of Prior Learning Assessment, Portfolio Development and Aboriginal Education. She is also the Academic Coordinator of FNTI’s Native social service worker program. Diane has written several articles and books and has lectured both nationally and internationally on the topic of Ethnostress and Indigenous models of learning/teaching.

This session will help participants to develop an awareness of the concept of “Ethnostress” as a term used to describe the disruption and loss of one’s positive Native identity. Ethnostress results when negative messages and images about being a Native person are first, internalized and second, believed by individuals within a community. The negative messages are then acted upon and played out within many different types of relationships both inside and outside of Native communities.

Session Materials Available
Session Outline
PowerPoint Slides
PDF Slides
Ethnostress Handout
Audio of session
Video of presentation (click to play):