Review: Killing the Wittigo: Indigenous Culture-Based Approaches to Waking Up, Taking Action, and Doing the Work of Healing

Killing the Wittigo: Indigenous Culture-Based Approaches to Waking Up, Taking Action, and Doing the Work of Healing by Suzanne Methot
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am writing this review, very conscious that, as a late 50s white settler, I have very few qualifications to comment, except some professional education training over the last year, which isn't enough. However, I'm also aware that the author, in their introduction, notes that non-Indigenous teachers etc may find the book useful. And it is.

Based around the metaphor of the Wittigo, a nightmarish, destructive (both self and other) spirit featured in several Indigenous cultures, this book explores the particularly history of trauma among Indigenous peoples- both generational and individual, and explores their origins and the way that Indigenous youths and their communities can heal. The reading is hard a lot of the time (hence, the many trigger warnings interspersed in the book), but important.

The writing is very accessible, clear and compassionate. Methot grounds the discussion in stories, but deepens the experience through sound therapeutic discussion. Well worth the reading.

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