“If you talk to a man in a language he

understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart”-

Nelson Mandela

Language Loss• During the assimilationist period there was

forced loss of language as a deculturation experience

• As a result of this process there are many sleeping and endangered native languages

• In 1990 NALA (Native American Languages Act)– Meant to “preserve, protect, and promote the rights

and freedoms of Native Americans to use, practice and develop Native American languages” (Warhol 3)

Language and Cultural Identity • Language helps form a sense of community• Language is important for the transmission and

understanding of creation stories.• Native language acquisition allows speakers a

unique worldview and perspective• An example of a different perspective could be

the relation of time. In many native languages time is expressed by stringing events together in relation to each other rather than in relation to now (Hinton 66)

Active Language Projects• AICLS- Advocates for Indigenous California

Language Survival– Language is Life Conference– Master-Apprentice Program

• Kumeyaay Community College– Offers a Kumeyaay Language Certification Program

• WLRP- Wampanoag Language Reclamation Project– Started in 1993 by Jessie Little Doe– No speakers of the language for over 7 generations– Recreated the language using old scribes, letters, a bible and

cross referencing other languages in the same family

We Still Live Here (2010)

Medicines and Remediesof the Kumeyaay

• The Kumeyaay used many of the local plants to aid in easing the pain and discomfort from many of the ills that befell the members of their tribe. The use of these plants was not only for medicinal purposes but were an important part of the local Kumeyaay and Cahuillia tribal cultures. They were incorporate both physical and spiritual healing.

Medicines and Remediesof the Kumeyaay

• Plants were placed upon the earth by the Creator to serve man. This was not intended to be a one-way relationship. Plants, like any life form, were to be treated with respect.

Medicines and Remediesof the Kumeyaay

• Good stewardship of resources was practiced when collecting these plants. The ritual in collecting of the plants was strictly followed so to protect the ready supply. They seldom stripped bare an area of the plants that they were gathering, but carefully left a part of the plant behind. Thus ensuring a continuing supply of these plants.

Medicines and Remediesof the Kumeyaay

California Sagebrush

White Sage

Medicines and Remediesof the Kumeyaay

Sycamore

Scrub Oak

Medicines and Remediesof the Kumeyaay

• Examples of how modern medicine originally dismissed Native American cures. Such as, “the savage Indians and the Negroes contributed little or nothing of value to any branch of medicine, and from them we receive a mass of superstition and ignorance that reinforce and strengthened what we had brought from Europe, a heritage that still plagues us

Medicines and Remediesof the Kumeyaay

• This racist view of racial inferiority has now been debunked as we discover that medications, such as ipecac, cochineal, liquidamber, datura and many others were widely used by many Native American cultures. These treatments are found to be very successful and with less side effects.

Medicines and Remediesof the Kumeyaay

• The medical community is becoming acquainted with alternative remedies and see that these cutting edge treatments for such ailments as gout, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cholesterol. They have found these treatments to be very successful and with less side effects.

Chumash Tule Boat

• This represents the very common boat for aquatic mobilization and hunting for Indian tribes. The design is very basic and the materials used are not very resistant to harmful weather conditions and long term sustainability.

Chumash Tomol

• The Chumash created the oceangoing plank canoe, or more formally known as the Tomol. The tomol is a much more complex and sturdier design that would enable the chumash to further expand their culture and ability to explore new realms of seafaring ventures, and conquer larger means pelagic fishing capabilities. With the use of the tomol, the chumash effectively expanded their coastal trade system, social network dynamics, and overall well being and prevalence along the central coast.

• Materials used for the tomol: Redwood trees(driftwood obtained from the coastal shores) Milkweed(Used to help bind all of the various planks of crafted redwood) Yop: Help with water retention and

added to the strength of the boat(combination of asphaltum and pine pitch)

Chumash Tomol

Chumash Tomol

The inevitable force of white colonialization and infiltration of the Chumash's native lands created too much competition for the fishing industry, thus hindering the economic success of the tribe. Other influences brought from white settlers spread diseases amongst the Chumash tribes. This led to virtual depopulation of their tribe.

• Once the Chumash tribe decentralized and practically died out amongst their native regions, the tomol ceased to exist as well. The culture of the chumash in modern day society is still able to be preserved despite this tragic scenario.

Chumash Tomol

• Chumash communities were able to collaborative in a collective effort to reconstruct the antiquity of the tomol, and make journeys to different islands and coastal dwellings to reenact the similar travels of their ancestors. This overall helped instill a sense of pride amongst the Chumash community, and commemorate the traditional way of life for the Chumash.

Chumash Tomol

Traditional vs Modern Medicine

Overview of Indian Health

• American Indians and Alaska Natives compared to average American–3X times more likely to die from

diabetes–Have a life expectancy of about five less

years than other Americans–Have suicide rates twice that of general

population

Overview of Indian Health

• American Indians and Alaska Natives compared to average American– 3X times more likely to die from diabetes– Have a life expectancy of about five less

years than other Americans– Have suicide rates twice that of general

population – http://www.ihs.gov/ihs_stats/files/Trends%20P

art%204-General%20Mort.pdf

Fusion of Traditional and Modern Medicine

• Dr. Maresca-Mohawk Indian• Tolt Community Clinic operated by the Snoqualmie

Tribe• Plants divided into four categories -- one for birth

and pregnancy, another to treat children, a third for adults and the last for elders.

“the organic garden is intended to promote an appreciation for the role of herbal medicine in contemporary health care and help advance the tribes mission to provide holistic health care services to the broader patients”

Fusion of Traditional and Modern Medicine

• Dr. Walt Hollow-Assiniboine-Sioux tribes– First Native American graduate from UW

school of medicine – Collaborated with UW to help found

• Center of Excellence and Indian Health Pathway – https://catalyst.uw.edu/workspace/dacosta/

9651/48519

Western Medicine’s use of Traditional Healing

• Western medicine has integrated Native American Healing as a form of CAM (Complimentary and Alternative Medicine)– By definition: “CAM practices are not part of

conventional medicine because there is insufficient proof that they are safe and effective” (National Health Statistics Report)

– American Cancer Society – UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center

How Western Medicine Acknowledges Native Healing?

• Listed as a form of cancer therapy – “Native American therapy treats side effects

and symptoms”– “Native American healing should be used

with, not in place of, standard cancer therapy.” – http://cancer.ucsd.edu/treatments/cam/therapi

es/Pages/native-american-healing.aspx

How does CAM work?• Use therapies the hospital provides or talk with doctor about

CAM treatments to find therapy elsewhere• The Moores Center does not offer Native Healing at the

center– Holds weekly workshops of gentle yoga, controlled breathing,

meditation and visualization/imagery – Gives overview of Native Healing with links for additional

information and research– http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/compl

ementaryandalternativemedicine/guidelines-for-using-complementary-and-alternative-methods

Discrepancy between healers and physicians

• Study from American Medical Association – Sample of 150 patients from Indian Health

Service Clinic in Milwaukee, Wisc.• 38% see a healer

– 61.4% of patients rate advice of healer over physician – Only 14.8% of patients seeing healers tell their

physicians

Training, Attitudes, Accessibility

Survey of Physicians at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, USA

• 233 physicians responding to the survey– 76% had never referred a patient to a CAM

practitioner– 44% stated that they would refer a patient if a

CAM practitioner were available at their institution.

– 57% of physicians thought that incorporating CAM therapies would have a positive effect on patient satisfaction

– 48% believed that offering CAM would attract more patients.

Issues of Appropriation

• American Journal of Clinical Nutrition– “Inflammation and Native American medicine:

the role of botanicals”