Reclaiming Traditional Knowledge Through the Native Nations Nursing, Helpers, and Healers Summit
Posted on
Brian Jackson, MS, EdD (Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa), emcee of the 2024 Native Nations Nursing, Helpers, and Healers Summit chatting with a participant.
On Friday, November 1, our 2024 Native Nations Nursing, Helpers, and Healers Summit, hosted at the Medical College of Wisconsin, brought together Indigenous communities, health care providers, tribal leaders, students, and advocates in a powerful gathering focused on culturally congruent care. The theme, “Reclaiming Traditional Knowledge and Practices to Promote Healing and Wellness in Indigenous Communities,” centered on Indigenous ways of knowing, relational learning, and integrating traditional knowledge with evidence-based practices to support the health and well-being of Indigenous communities.
Keynote speakers emphasized the importance of addressing health disparities, honoring intergenerational knowledge, and promoting trauma-informed, culturally safe care. Attendees explored a range of topics, from “Decolonizing Mental Health” to “Traditional Foods as Medicine,” gaining valuable insights for their roles as healers and allies.
Through presentations, discussions, and traditional performances, the summit reinforced our collective commitment to bridging gaps in the health care workforce and promoting holistic health for Indigenous peoples in Wisconsin and beyond.
Event Planning Chair Jeneile Luebke, PhD, RN (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) welcomed participants and speakers.Attendees being greeted as they arrived at the summit.The Little Priest Singers (Ho-Chunk) opened the summit with a prayer and drum performance.Lea S. Denny, MS, LPC, NCC, NMT, Hawaiian & Filipino, discussed the concepts of decolonizing mental health and the practice of centering intergenerational healing in her presentation, “Decolonizing Mental Health: A healing informed path forward through CAM™.” She shared how she formed her own nonprofit that applies innovative strategies for reimagining and transforming mental health care and accessibility through the Community Activated Medicine™ Framework™ and the CAM™ Mental Health Without Borders™ approach. The quote in the background on the slide is what a research subject/patient shared with her while she collected information for her research: “Thank you for doing something with this.”Indigenous/Native Youth panel present during the “Seeds of Dream of Wild Health: The Sacred Journey of Indigenous/Native Youth Community Healing” session. They each discussed reconnecting to Indigenous/Native foods, medicines, and knowledge; about interconnectedness and inclusiveness; healing of collective and cumulative traumas of Indigenous/Native communities, and the vast diversity of Indigeneity and how acknowledging the diversity of youth can facilitate healing, empowerment and belonging.Henning Garvin, RN, Ho-Chunk Nation during his presentation “Preserving Hoocak, Preserving Health.” Garvin shared his journey from linguist to nurse through learning about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and then applying trauma-informed approaches in his classroom to reduce the harmful effects of toxic stress and promote resilience and healing.Jamie Kellicut, MSW, APSW, Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa presented the “Bottom Up/Inside Out – Connecting Sensory, Movement, and Mental Health” breakout session. She described ways occupational therapists can bridge culturally responsive interventions utilizing an interdisciplinary team of cultural advisors, healers, and mental health providers.Participants socialize during a break.Vanessa Casillas, Ho-Chunk Nation, and Marissa Johnson, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe, identified Indigenous foods and their nutritional components while examining ways in which working with Indigenous foods is food sovereignty in their “Traditional Foods Nutrition & Cooking Demo.”Indigenous/Native Youth from the “Dream of Wild Health” program assisted in the “Traditional Foods Nutrition & Cooking Demo” session.A participant reads one of the poster presentations.Participants enjoying the presentations.
