Navigating Intergenerational Trauma as an African Immigrant on Indigenous Land in Canada

As a West African immigrant who arrived in Canada as a child, I carry a complex and often painful history within me — a story rooted in colonization, cultural loss, and displacement. My family left our homeland in search of opportunities that post-colonialism had long stripped away. We were leaving our West African home, scarred by colonization’s long, cruel hand — by borders drawn in blood and soil stripped of its sacredness. We were running not from our culture, but from the ruins left behind after others tried to erase it. We came here with hope — hope that Canada would offer us a chance to thrive. But what I didn’t expect was the emotional weight of living on land that was also taken from others.

Canada, too, is a colonized space. Canada was supposed to be hope. But no one told me that hope could also carry the weight of guilt. When we arrived, the land greeted me with silence — the kind that comes after centuries of screaming. This was Indigenous land. Still is. But like mine, it, too, had been taken, broken, renamed. The soil held memories here, too: of treaties betrayed, children stolen, languages suffocated. A land where Indigenous peoples continue to fight for rights, justice, and recognition after centuries of systemic oppression. As an African of Indigenous roots, I now live on land stolen from another Indigenous people — and this reality stirs a deep emotional conflict within me. 

When I started to learn the history of Canada more and more, I began to live with a quiet conflict. I am the child of a colonized people. Now living on the land of another colonized people. How do I honour my own Indigenous roots without stepping on the sacred ground of another? How do I hold space for the pain of my ancestors — stolen, enslaved, erased — while recognizing that I live with privileges that Indigenous people here are still denied? I attended schools with clean water. I lived in a home with heat. I had access to healthcare. Meanwhile, Indigenous communities in Canada continue to fight for basic human rights — for justice that never seems to come fast enough. The same basic human rights we came to Canada to receive. 

I watch as the Canadian government speaks of reconciliation, of apologies, of land acknowledgments. And I wonder — who is speaking for my people? Where are the reparations for Africa? Where is the justice for the children still digging through gold mines with their bare hands? For the communities still bowing under neo-colonial debt?

I feel caught between two wounds. Two forgotten nations. Two silenced peoples.

This internal battle can be isolating. As a young African navigating this Canadian landscape, I often feel like I don’t belong entirely anywhere. Too African to be Canadian. Too Canadian to be fully African. And somewhere between those blurred lines is the truth I carry: that colonization did not end — it simply changed names, flags, methods.

And this grief, this identity fragmentation, this survivor’s guilt — it hurts. But I have learned that I don’t have to carry it alone. This is the untold struggle many immigrants and racialized newcomers experience: the emotional toll of living between multiple histories of loss and survival. 

The Mental Health Impact of Living Between Two Traumas

As a young adult raised in Canada, I often find myself caught between grief and guilt:

• Grief for the land and culture I left behind.

• Guilt for living with certain privileges on land that was never mine to claim.

• Confusion around how to honour my identity without overshadowing the rights and sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

These feelings are not uncommon among BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) immigrants, especially those from formerly colonized nations. The emotional complexity of carrying intergenerational trauma while navigating life on new — but still colonized — ground can trigger anxiety, depression, identity confusion, and survivor’s guilt. And yet, these stories are rarely acknowledged — even in spaces meant for healing.

Why Culturally Sensitive Therapy Matters

At LK Psychotherapy, we recognize that trauma doesn’t always come from one event. For many immigrants and racialized individuals, trauma is historical, cultural, and collective. It’s embedded in the loss of home, language, belonging, and justice.

Our culturally sensitive therapy services in Ontario are designed to support individuals navigating: 

• Migration and resettlement stress

• Cultural identity and belonging

• Intergenerational trauma

• Racial and systemic oppression

• Grief related to land, home, or community

• Colonial legacies and survivor’s guilt

We know that healing begins when your story is seen and heard without judgment — when you don’t have to explain or minimize your pain to be taken seriously. Whether you’re a first-generation immigrant, a racialized newcomer, or someone navigating the emotional tension of being Indigenous to one place while living on another’s stolen land, you deserve a space to heal.

Mental Health Support for African and BIPOC Immigrants in Canada

Many African and Caribbean immigrants face stigma around therapy. We are often taught to “be strong,” to carry our burdens in silence. But strength can also look like asking for help.

At LK Psychotherapy, we work with clients from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds — including African, Caribbean, South Asian, and Indigenous clients. Our therapists are committed to trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and decolonial approaches to healing.

Whether you are experiencing:

• Emotional distress due to racism or discrimination

• Cultural disconnection or identity struggles

• Stress related to immigration or refugee experiences

• Anxiety, depression, or chronic overwhelm

Ready to Begin Your Healing Journey?

If you are navigating cultural identity, trauma, grief, or emotional stress as an immigrant or racialized person in Canada, LK Psychotherapy offers a safe and welcoming space for healing.

We provide:

• Individual therapy for immigrants and BIPOC communities

• Support for identity, racial trauma, and colonization-related grief

• NIHB covered mental health services for Indigenous People of Canada 

• Therapists with experience in cross-cultural and trauma-informed care

Start your healing journey today. Visit https://www.lkpsychotherapy.ca to book a FREE 30MIN consultation or learn more about our inclusive mental health services in Ontario & Alberta.

You are not alone. Your story deserves to be held. Your healing matters.