Rural Women's Health Conference
Summary Report
Summary Report (PDF File, 1.82 Mb)
August 13 -15, 2007
Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington DC |
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Plenary Session
Native American Medicine: A
Model for Creating Healing
Environments
Keynote speaker Lori Arviso Alvord, M.D., Associate
Dean of Student and Multicultural Affairs at Dartmouth-
Hitchcock Medical Center, opened her presentation
by reading a passage from the book she co-authored
titled, Native American Medicine: Ancient Wisdom for
Modern Times. The passage was from the chapter called
"Ceremony Medicine." It is the story of a woman with
breast cancer whom Dr. Alvord tried to convince to have
a Native-American ceremony before trying surgery. The
ceremony is called the Night Chant.
Dr. Alvord continued by explaining that to talk about
Navajo healing, we need to consider work at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology on "systems
thinking," which is a way of understanding complex
systems. She went on to explain that "systems thinking" is
useful when thinking about large systems like ecosystems
or healthcare systems. Some of the components of the
system are almost invisible until you point them out.
Dr. Alvord went on to explain that a systems approach
to illness and wellness would look at all levels of a
human being's environment. She stated that body,
mind, and spirit are part of a family; which, in turn, is
part of a work environment. The work environment is
part of a community, which, in turn, is part of a global
environment. Dr. Alvord noted that illness can occur
at any of these levels—body, mind, spirit, family, work
environment, community, or global environment. Navajo
Diné (people) say illness can occur at any point in life, and
when it occurs, it is because of a lack of balance. Illness
affects the body and the mind, as well as relationships with
other human beings and animals.
Dr. Alvord then explained more about Navajo ceremonies.
She said it is hard to describe a Navajo ceremony and do
it justice in a limited amount of time, but if there is one
concept that is at the heart of the ceremony, it is "hózho."
Dr. Alvord said that hózho is defined as a mixture of
beauty, harmony, balance, and peace. It is a state of being
and a way of being. It is a part of a larger phrase, "Sa'a
Naghai Bike'e Hózho," that translates to "moving along
the life path with spiritual balance and harmony." She
explained that hózho is similar to yin and yang. It is the
name of the force in the universe that created all things.
The concept is that the creator created all things and is
also in all things. As a result, she said, separateness is an illusion. In contrast, it is hard to think of the American
concept of the individual. If you believe that everything
and everyone around you are part of you, then you want
everything and everyone to be well, and to do well, too.
It is like a prism. She said that in ceremony, the word
"energy" is the closest word that can be used to describe
the concept.
Dr. Alvord explained that Navajo ceremonies teach
people to think. Words have great power—Navajo Diné believe that it is possible to
speak or think something
into existence. She said there
is evidence of this concept
in American culture, too.
Research has shown that
athletes who envision success
often perform better. They
are thinking something
into existence. She noted
that corporations do the
same thing through mission
statements and strategic
planning.
Dr. Alvord went on to explain
that in American medicine, psychoneuroimmunology is a
blossoming field. She reported that Dr. Herbert Benson,
Emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body
Medicine and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical
School, has found that various mind states do influence
the body, including the body's ability to fight infection
and cancer. However, the majority of systems have not yet
adopted this way of thinking.
Dr. Alvord noted that there is, however, a movement
called guided imagery, which is used to calm a person before a surgical procedure. It has been shown to
significantly reduce anxiety, pain, and the narcotic
requirements of surgery, and to increase patient
satisfaction. In Navajo culture, ceremonies, sand paintings,
and dancing are elaborate forms of guided imagery. It
is, therefore, ironic that the Navajo concepts have been
called primitive, while guided imagery is considered
progressive. Dr. Alvord also noted that when considering
the concept of guided imagery, it is important to consider
the reverse—how images that people are receiving from
the news, television, and
video games can have negative
effects.
Dr. Alvord explained how in
traditional Navajo culture, if
you wanted to survive, you had
to do it yourself. If you wanted
to eat, you had to hunt or grow
your food, or make something
that could be traded. She noted
it was a very vigorous physical
lifestyle, but it was a lifestyle
that ensured bodies were active
and strong. She said issues like
osteoporosis were nonexistent.
She went on to explain that human beings were meant to
use their bodies. Modern machines, such as lawnmowers,
microwaves, and cars, promote not using the body. She
noted that obesity is now one of the top medical issues
in our country today. Obesity affects almost every other
illness. Becoming a couch potato culture promotes illness.
Dr. Alvord stated that traditional Navajo diets were based
on grains, vegetables, fish, and meat, and were high in
fiber. She said this diet is better suited to a healthy lifestyle,
and asserted that simply returning to traditional diets, to what we used to eat, may reduce health disparities,
including obesity.
Dr. Alvord then explained that Navajo Diné believe
that human beings are part of all things in the universe,
including the winds. Our breath is part of this wind.
Health is the well-being of all things in the universe. The
universe has a consciousness, and we are a part of that.
Spirituality, as practiced through ceremony, strengthens
the bonds between human beings, families, communities,
animals, and the environment.
She explained how
Navajo's view the natural
world as sacred and refer
to it as a family. The earth
is a mother, the sky is a
father, and the bear is a
brother. The things that
we seek to protect are
those that we consider
family. By assigning this
value to the animal world
and natural world, we
become protective of them.
She went on to explain
that this is a concept of
interconnectivity. She
noted that we are seeing the effects of not thinking this
way—toxic water, toxic earth, and global warming.
Change is needed quickly.
Dr. Alvord reported that America represents 5 percent
of the world's population, but it consumes more than 25
percent of the world's resources. For some reason, she said,
there is no dialogue about living in balance and drawing
too much from our natural world. Dr. Alvord asserted
that what we need is a systems approach—if we want to be healthy as human beings, we need clean air, clean water,
and a clean earth.
Dr. Alvord explained how through ceremonies, people
develop mental wellness, which helps promote physical
wellness. Spiritual wellness influences family, community,
and planetary wellness. She noted that ceremonies also are
said to energize the healers, which is something not built
into modern medicine.
Dr. Alvord then discussed how these concepts can help us
form a new way of thinking
about health care. She said
if you consider a systems
approach, if mind-states
matter, if you can influence
the minds of patients, you
may be able to influence
their care. She noted that
one important part of this
concept is using the power of
all of the senses to promote
healing. She said there have
been numerous studies on
this concept. There was the
study on guided imagery.
There was also a study on the power of touch—babies
who were not held did not survive. She suggested the same
may go for elders. Yet another study showed the power
of music therapy in getting patients off ventilators by
listening to music.
Dr. Alvord noted that pet therapy and art therapy are also
powerful healing tools. Animals can often reach people
when others cannot. They have been used with people
with mental illness and children with autism. She said
animal contact results in decreased loneliness, improved morale, and increased social interaction. Animals can
produce higher levels of relaxation among patients and
can play a role in promoting optimal holistic health. She
explained that art may also help the mind become relaxed,
energized, or happy. It may reduce stress, and therefore,
augment the immune system to help fight disease. She
noted that art is woven throughout Native culture and
medicine and used extensively in Navajo ceremonies.
Dr. Alvord then described how another powerful healing
tool can be the beauty of the environment. She said that
in health care, the environment around us should be
beautiful too—we should be surrounded by things that
calm patients. She emphasized that it is important to think
about things from the patient's perspective. We should use
art, color, and lighting to create patient spaces whenever
we can.
Dr. Alvord went on to describe how the model goes
beyond patients to medical teams. In order to provide
good medical care, medical staff must be happy. She said
the system should reward teams that practice this. Mistakes
happen when teams have low morale. It is a domino effect.
Sleep deprivation is part of this, as is family. Work must
include family, too. She explained that people function
best in their work environments when they are able to take
family considerations into account. She suggested that
some approaches might include onsite daycare, flexible
work schedules, and including families in events.
Dr. Alvord concluded by stating, "The ideal hospital
would not smell like a hospital—nor would it necessarily
look like a hospital. Perhaps it would have adobe walls
and natural smells. It would be filled with light and warm,
with generous and comfortable seating for relatives. The
windows would not be square and chrome but rather
round or arched. There would be porches, flowers, and gardens. In addition to state-of-the-art operating rooms
and equipment, there would be a ceremonial space for
use by anyone who felt the need for it. Most important,
when patients entered, they would feel that every person
they encountered was committed to their comfort and
participating in their healing process."
Current as of October 17, 2008
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