[thevicarofblue]

In this moment of homelessness and unemployment, my husband and I are living with our children in Mississippi, home of the Choctaw Nation. (Just before my mother's death in 05, I learned from a cousin who'd been doing years of research, that my maternal DNA was almost purely Sioux. Tragically my mother's Alzheimer's did not allow her to process this information. In addition to a father who raised me that "Irish aren't white," I now know that I non longer check "white" or "Caucasian" or "Anglo" in any boxes. Because of a long Southern Gothic story and her attempts to "pass," I grew up very connected to my Irish DNA, which made my father an advocate of justice for ALL, and in MS, that was both African-Americans and aboriginal or First Peoples. (The only non-aboriginal maternal DNA was African-American.)

Having returned to MS and to hospice volunteer work (I'm an ordained priest but there are no hospice chaplain jobs available), I am in the process of trying to get my RN license back....lots of CEU's as it's been eons since I've worked as a nurse and hospice is the only work in which I am interested (as well as the only nursing I can do really well.)

I see and hear of ALL the changes in hospice and hospice regs since I last worked hospice (1994). Sooo I am wondering: if a "reservation" of First Peoples has its own laws, etc., does this mean that a hospice on a reservation would be subject to ALL US hospice regs? Does this mean that a community of First Peoples could open a hospice that REALLY gets to practice hospice? I realise my post sounds as if I've made a huge leap that, say, a community WOULD actually WANT to open a hospice that would be open to people of all cultures and DNA! But what IF? What IF a community of First Peoples were open to and received hospice training and the hospice, in-home or/and hospice house, and if, of course, the hospice was administered fully by the First Peoples, would that mean that there would be a DIFFERENCE in the way hospice is lived-out?

Am I making any sense?

My dream of such a hospice would include First Peoples' cultural healing practices and all other mores would be honored, respected, and lived out freely and with PRIDE. And IF such a community was interested in opening a hospice wing or facility or office that ministered to ALL in the geographic area, would that be possible? Wouldn't it be awesome to have a hospice with all kinds of healing? The best of Western palliative care, the shamans or healers of that particular Tribe, acupuncture, homeopathy, compounding, herbs, massage, reflexology, etc.....would that not be amazing? Would multi-cultural grants be available?

If anyone has any experience or knowledge with hospice with First Peoples, please let me hear from you.

MS has a grandly revitalised Choctaw Community, revitalised by industry and casinos. The BEST news I've heard about MS in years is that the most sacred Choctaw site, formerly "owned" by National Park Service and along the Natchez Trace, has now been returned to the Choctaw. If MS can begin to heal and amend its terrorism and racism against its First Peoples, can MS then begin the process to heal and amend its terrorism and racism against African-Americans?

Pace e Bene
bleu[/font]

[doodlemom]

Accessing federal and state money = rules and regs. If you are running completely as a charitable organization and not billing insurance (Medicare/Medicaid) you do not have to follow Medicare regs.

There are a great deal of hospices all over the country that offer all kinds of alternative healing.

[marachne]

The issue I see in terms of creating a "first people's" hospice is how there are many tribes where the culture does not encourage any kind of death talk. How do you bring in a hospice philosophy when the idea of talking about death is, if not taboo, not integral into the culture? How does it not come across as cultural imperialism?

[thevicarofblue]

[COLOR="rgb(46, 139, 87)"]"...the idea of talking about death is, if not taboo, not integral into the culture? How does it not come across as cultural imperialism?..."[/color]


EXACTLY!! I absolutely agree! And that's been my big struggle and huge question since this conversation began with a couple of local hospice people several weeks ago. Thank you sooo much for your honest and direct answer.

bleu

[marachne]

And of course it is not simple, just like "cultural competency/awareness/sensitivity/humility" (I particularly like the last one) is not a recipe or formula, but simply a guideline by which to make inquiries into individual's beliefs and values.

Example: I can safely state that the Navajo (Dineh) are among the peoples who have major taboos around death. Yet, a dear friend of my sister (she has been adopted by his clan), who is Dineh, after having gone though extensive (failed) chemo turned to my BIL and said "I know my culture has taboos around it, but I know I am dying and I want to talk about it, and make plans for how to best live out the time I have left."

I do believe he utilized hospice.