Introduction:
Recognition Trauma refers to the cumulative psychological harm that arises when identity, belonging, or legitimacy are persistently denied by others or by institutions. While structural exclusion and social invalidation are known stressors, their psychological and relational consequences remain underexplored. Drawing from recognition theory (Taylor, 1992; Honneth, 1995) and trauma psychology (Briere, 2019; Herman, 1992), this study examines how legal exclusion and institutional revictimization shape the lived experience of identity denial among the Eastern Métis, who continue to suffer from the absence of official recognition.


Purpose:
The project aims to conceptualize Recognition Trauma and to develop a qualitative foundation for a new bilingual instrument—the Identity Misrecognition and Psycholegal Trauma Inventory (IMTI/PTM). The goal is to operationalize trauma associated with identity invalidation, cultural delegitimization, and legal exclusion leading to institutional revictimization.


Method:
A qualitative phenomenological approach was used, involving 30 preliminary semi-structured interviews across two Eastern Métis communities in Canada. Although the interviews were not originally designed to elicit recognition trauma explicitly, participants spontaneously described experiences of identity denial, institutional invalidation, and emotional rupture. Transcripts were coded and analyzed in NVivo 14 using Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis, ensuring systematic interpretation and analytic transparency. Codes were generated inductively to preserve participants' language and cultural meanings, while cross-community comparison supported the identification of shared and divergent themes.


Results:
Three interrelated dimensions of recognition trauma emerged: (1) Institutional Invalidation, reflecting legal and administrative exclusion; (2) Collective Delegitimization, describing social disbelief and intra-community tension; and (3) Psychological Revictimization, expressed through chronic shame, hypervigilance, and identity fragmentation.


Conclusions:
This preliminary phase establishes a robust empirical and conceptual basis for the study of recognition trauma. By linking legal exclusion to psychological revictimization, the research bridges law and mental health while illuminating processes transferable to other marginalized groups or individuals facing systemic identity denial.