Three Kinds of Strength

I draw on these strengths

The Dinjii Zhuh (Gwich’in) philosophies describe 3 kinds of strength: ancestral, personal and collective/communal. Dr Crystal Fraser called on all three while writing her PhD thesis on Indian Residential Schools in northern Canada. “Every time I sat down in my chair to write, I had to draw on these strengths.”

As we move through the fall of 2021, so many people are expressing exhaustion. Many of our usual sources of strength are tapped out. Millions of people have died from Covid leaving grieving family and friends. Others are facing financial stress, or feeling burnt out from sustained effort in our health care or education systems. The pressure release and enjoyment of travel and social fun are limited.

Where do you draw strength from? What inspires you to keep going, to reach out to a co-worker or take food to a single mom? To acknowledge reality and allow yourself to rest?

What are the stories of strength in your family? My mom and her parents (farmers) were proud they never took government assistance during the Great Depression. My 7 times great grandparents on Dad’s side fled the Highland Clearances of the 1750’s and 60’s Scotland to come to a new land. They were brave and tough. They made it through.