Spirit injury manifests in physical illness and mental issues, says strategic lead of Indigenous resurgence January 14, 2021 Back pain. All of those, said Dr. Lynn Lavallee, are symptomatic of spirit injury. “We know that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience. So when we have physical illness that is spirit injury and it manifests itself into mental illness, into physical illness, into cognitive issues,” Lavallee told about 80 people who tuned into her webinar Jan. 12 hosted by Ontario Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research. Lavallee, Anishinaabe/Metis, is the strategic lead of Indigenous resurgence in the Faculty of Community Services at Ryerson University.