# Risk Factors Disrupting Wholistic Wellness Among Indigenous Families During COVID‐19

## TL;DR

This study explores how historical oppression and systemic inequity impacted the wellness of Indigenous families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Contribution

The study introduces the framework of historical oppression, resilience, and transcendence (FHORT) to analyze the effects of the pandemic on Indigenous wellness.

## Key findings

- Themes like racism, trauma, and financial stress emerged as key risk factors.
- Disruptions to kinship networks and collectivism were linked to systemic inequity.
- Indigenous family values conflicted with physical distancing protocols during the pandemic.

## Abstract

The impact of the COVID‐19 virus disproportionately affected U.S. Indigenous peoples, who experienced the highest infection and death rates in comparison with non‐Indigenous peoples. In this article, we use the framework of historical oppression, resilience, and transcendence (FHORT) to understand how Southeastern Indigenous peoples in the United States navigated hardships associated with the COVID‐19 global pandemic. This culturally congruent framework contextualizes imbalances found at individual, family, and community ecological levels, illustrating a direct correlation to sociopolitical, historical, and cultural oppression. This research assessed interconnections of structural inequity and associated disruptions to Indigenous wholistic wellness amid the pandemic. Thirty‐one community‐based, critical ethnographic interviews were conducted following an Indigenous toolkit for ethical and culturally sensitive research to understand quantitative risk factors associated with participant responses to COVID‐19. The following themes emerged: (a) racism, sexism, and discrimination; (b) increased trauma, financial stress, and violence; (c) physical symptoms; (d) impaired unity; and (e) disintegrated support and kinship networks. Risk factors associated with COVID‐19 emerged in large part from systemic inequity, incongruence between Indigenous family values and physical distancing protocols, and impaired collectivism. Future crisis interventions should promote traditional protective factors to offset the impact of historical oppression, consistent with the FHORT.