A Proposal to The Northern Arizona Healthcare Foundation

For The
Northern Arizona Community Health Grant
Problem Statement/Abstract

For years, the world has operated along the lines of the colonized approach; in the health field,

architectural field and any other field that comes to mind. The holistic approach to medicine

and behavioral health issues has long been made to seem as a second-rate way of healing.

However, as many Native tribes would agree, the knowledge they hold is just as powerful if not

more powerful than Western medicine. Because of this idea, holistic and traditional methods of

healing have long been overlooked. Not only does this close-minded way of thinking prevent

people from having all the opportunities of health but it also further emphasizes the

subjugation of Indigenous peoples and cultures everywhere. Native people are not offered the

tools or openly posted availability they need to implement traditional practices into their daily

lives. Many probably do not have the resources or connections to know who does the

traditional medicinal practices they are seeking. Therefore, many are further disconnected from

their heritage or any type of Native Indigenous heritage that helps them to connect to their

roots. Not only this, but there are tons of knowledge being ignored and disregarded as fake or

fantasy.

Background Literature

Data from the Indian Health Service show that Native Americans die at higher rates than other

nationalities. This death rate is based on the longstanding observation that Native Americans

have a life expectancy 4.4 years less than the United States differing nationality populations. It

can be attributed to not only physical issues with the body, but to behavioral issues causing

suicide, self-harm and drug or alcohol abuse.

Of what I have read when looking into hospital facilities and their resources, other than Tuba

City, AZ which is in Coconino County, unaffiliated with the Indian Health Service, there are no

hospitals that offer a holistic approach to healing and helping in the behavioral health field.

They mention Depression Treatment Centers, Detox and Rehab Treatment Centers, Community

Health Assessment Focus Groups, but nothing of traditional holistic approaches in this area.

According to a practitioner of Navajo traditions, the ceremonies and even the other methods of

healing used, have helped a number of people from not only mental illnesses but physical as

well. This healer is a source within himself with credibility equal to that of multiple PhDs. The

thousands of books of knowledge that each medicine person holds in their brains is like an

enormous library. For those who are skeptical, they must know that at least a portion of that

knowledge should hold some truth. The proof is also in the clients who have gone through the

process of experiencing traditional healing methods.

Roles of Participants

The only roles I am aware of at this time would be that of the medicine people. They will

provide schedules of availability and perform the healing work. There will be roles of hospital

administration employees to handle the funding and scheduling. No further roles have been

established.

Budget and Budget Statement

The budget for this project would include the entire amount of $50,000 a year for two years.

With this money, medicine people could be paid for their services and use their knowledge to

heal and teach what they know. A portion of this money could also be used to find ways to

implement this program for a longer term. Many medicine healers are charging more than
usual because the demand for healers at this day and age is really high. There are only a

handful of real healers who know what they are doing and what they are talking about, and

who follow the Navajo philosophy. The toll this demand takes on the medicine people is much

heavier because there are so few of them, so the higher price seems fitting. The money needed

per year would cover these varying expenses, especially since the population is mainly a Native

population whom I would say would most likely prefer doing healing for behavioral health in a

holistic way. (I say Navajo practitioners because that is the majority of the area’s tribal citizen

population). Also, as a side note, the cost per ceremony ranges depending on the work that is

done and the person who is doing the healing so, as far as that goes, I am not able to complete

a fixed budget.

Potential Importance

The opportunity for the Indigenous population to have access to their own original ways of

healing will be a mark of sovereignty. The people get to choose how they recover and with this,

there will be an introduction of self-determination in the health-field. Of course, those who are

not Navajo will not be using their traditional methods of healing but perhaps from this project,

we can plan to expand our range of reach. Eventually, more Native American cultures can be

included, and enough funding could be made to create a long-term era of access to multi-

cultural healing.