Traditional medicine gains respect in clinical setting

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More than 800 people attended the National Aboriginal Health Organization's first annual conference at the Congress Centre in Ottawa from Jan. 21 to 23.

Participants came to listen and learn from presenters from all across Turtle Island. The workshops focused on topics such as midwifery, fetal alcohol syndrome, traditional medicine, and careers for aboriginal youth.

Ruby Van Bibber, traditional medicine co-ordinator for the First Nations Health Program at Whitehorse General Hospital, gave participants an overview of the services currently being offered under the direction of Yukon traditional Elders.

The program was developed to implement traditional alternative methods for healing within the hospital and to gather traditional knowledge to pass it on to their youth. The program is available to anyone who requests it. Traditional medicines and foods are offered, local Elders volunteer to work with patients, and a dietitian oversees the menu for the traditional foods program, that includes moose and caribou. Van Bibber said that local hunters usually donate some of their meat, but this year meat was scarce and the program received some from the government's game branch.

Van Bibber said, "Overall success of the programs offered here are because we are here for the people, and we get a lot of feedback. People say it's good to see our own people here, on staff."

The staff communicate with patients to help them understand the doctors, and also help the doctors to understand Aboriginal patients' needs.

Van Bibber believes the traditional medicine program is in high demand because of the effect of residential schools. She says people are finally beginning to feel good about who they are. They are interested in relearning the medicines, and in going back to the old way of life.

Kathy Bird is a registered nurse who works in traditional medicine at the Peguis Health Services in Manitoba. Because of limited space at the health centre, Bird and her husband, Mide Megwun, the co-ordinator, offer a traditional health clinic out of their home.

The clinic has been offered for 18 years and has been very successful, so successful that people come from areas such as Winnipeg and Ontario. Bird said that at the last three-day clinic, 81 people came to see the healer.

"The reason for the success of the program is because the requests came from the people, and we grew accordingly." Bird also believes that 'part of the success is its uniqueness, because it is in a friendly, home environment, not in a clinical setting."

Get With It, the conference slogan, is exactly what traditional teacher and herbalist Janice Longboat encouraged participants to do. Longboat stressed that healing is a balance of all things. She said, "We need to pick up the rest of our medicine bundle. My suggestion is to turn off the TV and computer. Technology won't do it for us, we have to do it for ourselves."

Longboat said that organizations like the National Aboriginal Health Organization can provide the tools, but the healing journey is up to the individual. "We need to reset the agenda. We are running out of time. It's about the celebration of life."