Traditional [Native American] Indian Medicine, Treatment of Chronic Illness:

[Thunderwolf, MSN, RN]

Most excellent article regarding treatment... recognizing and legitimizing NAI ways as part of treatment modality.

It is worth the read.

The summary of the article is thus:

Increasingly, traditional Native American healing practices are being requested by Native Americans and non-Natives alike. A series of meetings among traditional Native American healers and the author resulted in a dialogue between the Native American world view and that of biomedicine. Recommendations arose for how treatment should proceed in the modern world and how best to introduce interested non-Natives to Native American healing practices. An approach was developed for bridging cultures to facilitate the interaction of non-Natives with traditional healers.

One hundred sixteen patients were treated in this manner by the author in conjunction with traditional Native American healers. More than 80% of patients showed significant, persisting benefits of a time-intensive treatment program. A comparison group of patients derived from the author's emergency room patients showed significantly lower rates of improvement. The author suggests that an intensive treatment experience (inspired by Native American practices) over 7-10 days for treating chronic physical illness achieves both health benefits and improved cost utility. The treatment philosophy underlying this approach and communicated by the traditional healers is best described as general systems theory, or that of dynamic energy systems. Within this theoretical framework, physical illness can be treated by counseling and ceremony, since illness is viewed as simultaneously spiritual, mental, and physical. Because of the interaction and hierarchical embeddedness of these levels, intervention at any one level should affect any other.

The whole article can be read here: http://www.healing-arts.org/mehl-madrona/mmtraditionalpaper.htm

[tencat]

What are the answers? How can the medical community help? I'm not Native American, but I will be working with a large Native population. In the southwest I know that the Navajo use traditional methods of healing and are even given space within the hospitals that are designated for use only for healing ceremonies. I haven't read the article yet (I'll have more time later). I often wonder about the issues you've posted here, but as a non-Native person it's hard to know how to help or even to know whether or not I can help.

[nativehealer]

What are the answers? How can the medical community help? I'm not Native American, but I will be working with a large Native population. In the southwest I know that the Navajo use traditional methods of healing and are even given space within the hospitals that are designated for use only for healing ceremonies. I haven't read the article yet (I'll have more time later). I often wonder about the issues you've posted here, but as a non-Native person it's hard to know how to help or even to know whether or not I can help.

Tencat, the first step is always the hardest. You have taken the first of many steps that is needed to learn how to blend Western healing and traditional native healing. Asking how you can help will leads to answers. The info is out there for you to find. If there is a question that you can't figure out please ask. As for the medical community helping, just open your heart and learn about our ways.

Native