An Exploration of Mental Health in Indigenous People

In the novel There There, Cheyenne and Arapaho author Tommy Orange writes characters in a way that conveys the multitude of mental health issues Native people experience daily, including but not limited to depression, PTSD, OCD, anger issues, and alcoholism, mirroring the real-life mental health crisis that Native people face today. This project will research the complex interaction between Native culture, history, communal suppression, trauma, and mental health, while also exploring the effects this is having on Native people here and now.

James Hickey '24