They
Also
Heal
In The
Old
Indian
Ways
A unique pari of I ho
splendid new Cliorokc‘o
hospital is ils use of tra¬
ditional tribal healers.
By COI\!NIE AMI
AltVOLD KROCiniAL
"Traditional healers . . . play a
vital role . . . Health profession¬
als have much to learn from tra¬
ditional healers, regarding their
practice of psychotherapy, their
approach to sickness and patient
management; and the probity and
humility with which they look upon
their role in the community." —
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZA¬
TION RETORT
The commentary from the World
Health Organization has an echo in the
medical practices at the Cherokee In¬
dian Hospital on the Qualla Reserva¬
tion in North Carolina.
The 35 bed hospital, with 7 M.D.s
and a complete associated medical
staff, including 3 dentists, provides all
of the most modem medical care pos-
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The Cherokee Indion Hospital buildirvg blends notarolly with the mountains, with ils -oils buried in soil,
tarn covered by bork ond leovcs Locoled in Cherokee.
siblc from X-rays to surgery, a modem
and complete pharmacy, and every
imaginable ancillary service for in¬
patient and out-patient care, free, for
all enrolled tribal members.
The single story gray stone building
is a part of its surroundings, with its
walls buried in soil, in turn covered
with bark, leaves and other natural
debris. There are enough glass win¬
dows to provide light but the whole
blends into the mountain scenery well.
It was completed in 1981 at a cost of
SI2.000.000.
Poke Greens and Squash
As one enters the building, which is
totally traditional in terms of furniture,
desks and such, one is immediately
made aware of the Indian community
which the hospital serves by hand¬
somely arranged arrows, wooden carv¬
ings and feathered ornaments in the
main room. The staff of the hospital.
170 people, is about 80*yf Indian.
Supplemental energy sources are
solar panels and a w ind power source.
The kitchens are gleaming and mod¬
em and the menu is built around Chero¬
kee dietary preferences of bread, beans
and potatoes as a foundation, sup¬
plemented with poke greens, collard
greens, creasy greens and a local squash.
Undoubtedly the most unique part
of the hospital is the use of traditional
tribal healers, one of whom has an of¬
fice. others of w hom are available as
consultants. This remarkably sensitive
effort to bring the best of two cultures
to the ill accepts the difference in atti¬
tude towards ill health of the native
American and the white man.
Natural Substances
The Indian thinks of illness as an
imbalance with the surrounding world,
the white man puts the cause as a
micro-organism. The traditional heal¬
ing practice uses natural substances
when needed, the w hite man uses syn¬
thetic drugs. Traditional healing is a
longer term procedure learned in the
shadow of a healer, w hite medicine is
taught via an academic process.
The hospital provides home health
care, a variety of social services, and
human health services which covers
drug and alcohol abuse programs.
Individual and group therapy. Alco¬
holics Anonymous, pastoral and peer
counseling, basketry and bead work
arc all part of the health service pro¬
grams. For more difficult problems
there is a Tribal Court, and then a Fed¬
eral Court.
Additional techniques available in¬
clude meditation, coping skills, bio-
feedback. autogenics training, pro¬
gressive relaxation, and several others.
The diversity of healing techniques
represents a great step forward in medi¬
cal care.
1»
THE STAT ' march 19>2
