Microaggressions against Indigenous peoples and its impacts
What are microaggressions?
Microaggression is a term that not many have heard, but many have experienced and partaken in. To start off, let’s define what a microaggression is and what it can look like. Microaggressions are often subtle, unintentional or intentional behaviours, actions, and expressions that communicate hostile, negative or derogatory messages to target individuals in marginalized groups.
Microaggressions can reveal racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist (and more) attitudes and behaviours. In this article, we are going to focus on how microaggressions that communicate racism can harm Indigenous peoples and how they may show up. This will provide the individuals with the tools to notice microaggressions in everyday life, hold the people partaking in them accountable, and stop them in their tracks.
These comments or behaviours are often overlooked since people are unaware that they are partaking in them. This does not mean that they are any less harmful than overt acts of racism. The word “micro” may be deceiving but they are and can be extremely harmful to those on the receiving end. Although some may argue that microaggressions are “not a big deal” or that people are “too sensitive”, they can have devastating effects on mental health, physical health, and social life.
Microaggressions toward Indigenous peoples:
Most microaggressions committed against Indigenous peoples are by white people, who hold white privilege. Many of these individuals are unaware they hold this privilege and can be blind to how their actions and behaviours discriminate against people in minority groups. This is why recognizing and halting these acts can be difficult because the people committing them often would deny holding explicit attitudes of racism. However, one can deny being racist and still hold implicit biases and attitudes of racism. These implicit biases are often due to a lifetime of white privilege, a society full of white supremacy, and the systemic racism that plagues North America.
Types of microaggressions:
There are a few types of microaggressions; micro-insults, micro-assaults, and micro-invalidation. It is important to recognize the difference between these as they may reveal whether the individual holds explicit or implicit bias. Once this is established it is easier to decide how to approach the individual committing the aggression and ensure they are held accountable.
Micro-assaults can be seen as verbal or non-verbal attacks, avoidant behaviours, and purposeful discriminatory acts. An example of this would be purposely interacting solely with White Canadians over Indigenous peoples in the spaces one occupies. They are the most overt of the microaggression types.
Micro-insults are subtle however, they are still deeply insulting and harmful. They often include rude remarks that can undermine one’s cultural identity and uphold white supremacy. Micro-insults can look like a teacher mispronouncing an Indigenous student's name once or multiple times, avoiding eye contact or not giving them the same attention as the other students. Another example of a micro-insult would be a teacher being surprised that an Indigenous student is performing well and voicing that surprise to said student.
Micro-invalidations are often communications that disregard or invalidate the psychological effects of racism and the experiences Indigenous peoples face due to racism. These types of invalidations can be seen by an individual claiming that they “don’t see colour” or that “all lives matter”. This can negate how racism and discrimination affect Indigenous peoples or other people of colour. Another example of this is when one individual tells the other that they are overreacting towards a racist comment or action, this can invalidate one’s feelings.
All of these microaggressions are damaging and harmful to Indigenous peoples experiencing them, which is why no matter what type you encounter, it is important to stop it in its tracks. Some more examples of microaggressions that Indigenous peoples may experience are, “Don’t you go to school for free?”, “Do you live in a teepee?”, “You don’t pay taxes”. In addition to these phrases and more, it has been found that Indigenous peoples are often stereotyped as drunks, addicts, criminals, or on welfare. These phrases and stereotypes can show up in all spaces, and are incredibly racist, even if the intent wasn’t to be so.
How to respond to microaggressions:
So now that we have discussed what microaggressions are, how they show up and some examples that occur in everyday life, we will now dive into how to handle and approach the individual who engaged in the transgression. First off, it is important to ensure the target of the microaggression is okay, safe, and secure. Then it is up to you how you want to handle the situation and bring the microaggression to the communicators' attention.
You must make the main decision whether or not you want to call someone in or call someone out. The act of calling someone in is more discrete, private and could reduce some of the perpetrator’s defensiveness. For example, if you witness someone committing a microaggression you could choose to wait until it is just the two of you and then calmly explain why their actions or behaviours were harmful or racist. Another option is to have them explain their behaviour to you which may give them a chance to reflect on their actions and their impact. Calling in may reduce the risk of fallout, as the communicator may not feel as embarrassed or defensive in a more private setting, it may also give them an option to educate themselves further and learn why their actions weren’t okay.
Calling someone out is another route that can be taken when witnessing a microaggression of any type. When you call someone out you do it at the moment when the situation occurs. This can be beneficial because the details of the incident will be fresh in everyone’s mind so the impact can be explained as soon as possible. The downside to this approach is that the individual can often become defensive and the target can be caught in the crossfire, possibly labelled as “too sensitive”. This is something that should not happen, as the target should not experience any more harm than they already have.
As you can see there are pros and cons to both calling in and calling out. This is why it is important to assess the situation and determine your best course of action with the target’s wellbeing in mind, as well as the correction of the perpetrators' behaviour or action.
Ensure that you are aware of implicit biases:
Lastly, if you are a White settler in North America, it is important you monitor yourself for microaggressions you may commit in your everyday life. You may have implicit biases and behaviours that you are unaware of until you begin to examine them, resulting in subtle, unintentional racist acts. Remember that it is normal to make unintentional mistakes. It is not about never making any mistakes, it is about how you respond when it is brought to your attention and that you continue learning from your mistakes.
If you commit a microaggression, some key points to remember are, always believe the individual to whom you caused harm too, listen and be receptive, refrain from becoming defensive, think about the impact you made, and how you can do better in the future.
Remember the best way to defeat microaggressions and the harm they cause is to become better educated on what they are, how they show up, and how to stop them. So please examine implicit biases you may hold, discuss them with those around you and listen to Indigenous peoples and other members of minority groups when they share their insights and experiences. The best way to overcome these behaviours and actions is through education, constant learning, and holding people accountable for their actions.
References:
https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/docview/2513419967?pq-origsite=summon
https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/article/10.1007/s10447-018-9345-z
https://hbr.org/2020/07/when-and-how-to-respond-to-microaggressions
https://www.vox.com/2015/2/16/8031073/what-are-microaggressions
