A Mile in My Moccasins Niijii Radio KKWE 89.9FM

Jeep, Kayla and Susan realized how their Native families and communities don’t talk about the hard things that have happened to them. And they decide they’re going to change that. But it’s risky.

Kayla is relieved to learn that she struggles with depression and anxiety - not because she is crazy - but because of trauma from her childhood. And Susan can relate.

Jeep shares about his early trauma and we realize that he recreated that chaos and trauma in his later life. But after getting sober and learning about ACEs — he’s peeling back the layers of trauma and changing his life, and healing his body, mind and spirit. Lessons that will help his daughter and his grandkids.

Kayla and Melissa are scheduled to have a few more interviews but Kayla doesn’t make it to any of them. Melissa is worried that Kayla is triggered by the first conversation they had where Kayla talked about the devastating trauma she experienced as a child. Melissa thinks maybe she’s hiding from the world, trying to comfort herself curled in a ball under the covers. But Melissa is wrong.

Susan and Kayla talk about triggers - where they come from and the impact they have. They tell the story of how they learned meditation can help them keep their brains out of the “trauma time machine” - at least some of the time. And you get a chance to meditate along with us.

Since learning about ACEs, Jeep has been trying to make good decisions about how to raise his three grandchildren ages 10, 8 and 6. But in this call, Jeep realizes to care for them more fully, he needs to look at his own childhood trauma.