An Introduction to Traditional Healing in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

Introduction: The United States has a trust responsibility to provide health care to members of the 574 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribes and Villages through the Indian Health Service, an agency tasked with promoting AI/AN health and cultural connectedness. Despite the presence of a comprehensive health care system in 37 states, physicians and allied health professionals receive minimal health professional education regarding the sociocultural factors affecting AI/AN health. This module addresses the underrepresentation of AI/AN health professional curricula and promotes a greater understanding of AI/AN health determinants and cultural constructions of health for individuals with limited exposure to these topics. Methods: We developed a 60-minute interactive session aimed at increasing trainees' understanding of AI/AN traditional healing practices across the medical education continuum. The session consisted of a PowerPoint presentation, one video, and multiple small-group discussion exercises. The session was evaluated with pre- and postsurveys and implemented four times at medical school seminars. Results: There were 37 respondents in total. Analysis of pre/post survey responses to confidence in meeting each learning objective showed a significant increase in confidence for each of the three learning objectives (p < .01). Respondents were very interested in how traditional healing improved health intervention outcomes and showed interest in connecting AI/AN patients to these services. Discussion: This module's positive reception indicates that it can serve as an important educational tool for learners involved in AI/AN-focused clinical care. Learners were able to explain how traditional healing practices are important in promoting AI/AN health.