First Nations researcher exploring psychedelics as healing tool for intergenerational trauma

Researchers at Vancouver Island University say Indigenous knowledge is key to exploring how psychedelic substances can help treat a variety of disorders related to mental health.

Georgina Martin, the co-lead of the Naut sa mawt Centre for Psychedelic Research, says this work caught her attention because of the possibilities it offers for treatment of intergenerational trauma.

"I feel that this is an opportunity to explore something that may be a response to some of the health issues that Indigenous people are facing," said Martin.

Martin, who is Secwepemc, is a professor of Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies at Vancouver Island University. Martin said Indigenous people have been using medicines like psychedelics for millennia.

"I think in relation to the spirituality, there are many of our people that are very connected to that realm," said Martin.

"They can understand how our spirituality is very significant and it's very key to our healing."

Martin said the centre uses a "two eyed seeing" approach, combining Western-style science with Indigenous perspectives.

"There's a lot of care and concern that needs to be put in place to ensure that Indigenous people feel that they're going to be respected, not only for their knowledge, but also for the medicines that they currently harvest and use," said Martin.

Martin said the centre builds relationships with communities and ensures collaboration is mutually beneficial and has been working with the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

"We're not just going to go in there and take their information and not be able to provide some service back to the community," said Martin.

Martin is working on her psychedelic assisted therapy certificate through the research centre and studies how different types of psychedelic medicines could be used to help heal trauma.

Currently the Naut sa mawt Centre works with psilocybin — also known as magic mushrooms — to address end of life distress, depression and Alzheimer's, uses MDMA for treating fibromyalgia, and ketamine to treat PTSD in firefighters.

Monnica Williams, Canada Research Chair in Mental Health Disparity at the University of Ottawa, has been studying how psychedelics can help heal racialized trauma.

Williams said it can be hard for patients to be treated for trauma because it can be too painful to revisit those experiences through therapy.