Intergenerational Healing: The Role of Culture and Community in Trauma Recovery

In this episode of United Way’s Do Local Good podcast, hosts Natalie Steffl and Rahma Dalmar explore the lasting impact of intergenerational trauma and the pathways to healing with special guest Pamela Spurvey, an Indigenous Wellness Coordinator and facilitator with United Way’s Empower U program. Pamela shares her personal journey of mental health recovery and addiction healing, emphasizing the vital role of cultural connection, financial empowerment, and community support in breaking cycles of trauma.

This conversation sheds light on the challenges families face when working toward reconciliation and recovery, offering a hopeful perspective on how cultural inclusion and community-driven programs likeEmpower U can foster resilience, understanding, and connection.

Get Involved:

• Learn more about how you can make a difference with GenNEXT: https://www.myunitedway.ca/take-action/join-a-group/gennext/
• Access local resources by calling 211, texting INFO to 211, or chatting online at 211 Alberta: https://www.myunitedway.ca/take-action/join-a-group/gennext/

Featured Programs and Resources:

• Empower U: https://www.myunitedway.ca/empoweru/
• Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society: https://bentarrow.ca/
• BGCBigs Edmonton & Area: https://bgcbigs.ca/

Acknowledgments:

We extend our deepest thanks to hosts Natalie Steffl and Rahma Dalmar for leading this meaningful discussion and to Pamela Spurvey for courageously sharing her story and insights. We also thank Brett Eigner for the content support he provided.

Special thanks to all Empower U facilitators, Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, BGCBigs Edmonton & Area, and all other partners working alongside us to build resilient, connected communities.

A big thank-you to everyone from United Way and the GenNEXT Cabinet involved in the production of this podcast, including Adam Piercey, Chris Tse, Courtney Riley, Catherine Lee-Hanley, and Daryl Hooke, for their creativity, hard work, and commitment to amplifying stories of resilience and connection.

Lastly, we express our gratitude to our listeners for joining us on this journey to explore the role of culture and community in trauma recovery.

Together, we are building resilient, connected, and thriving communities where no one is left behind.

Land Acknowledgment:

This episode was recorded in Edmonton, Alberta, on Treaty Six Territory and the Métis Nation of Alberta North Saskatchewan River Territory. We acknowledge that this land has long served as a meeting place, gathering ground, and travel route for the diverse Indigenous Peoples who have called it home for generations. These include the nêhiyawak (Cree), Blackfoot, Dene, Anishinaabe (Saulteaux), Nakota Sioux, Inuit, and Métis. We are deeply grateful for the resources, knowledge, and culture shared by Indigenous communities, as we walk together on the path toward reconciliation. We honour and respect their contributions, which help guide our work to ensure no one in our community is left behind.