Looking back Contributors who helped preserve knowledge on

Looking back Contributors who helped preserve knowledge on Navajo healing

Before 1841 • Little mention of Navajo or their health • 1841 expedition headed by General Kearny • To survey military strength of the Navajos – Reported “Navajos as healthy, well clothed, and well-fed”

The starvation and pain of the Long Walk • 8 -9 thousand to Bosque Redondo • High mortality/morbidity – Estimated 2, 000 deaths • Small hospital not well utilized Notes made of high rates of infections, respiratory problems etc. • Left no markers-cemetery

The Happy but Unhealthy Return to the Homeland Highest death rates among those returned from Ft. Sumner

Burying bitter memories/experiences The original memorial at Ft. Sumer

The 1868 Treaty and post Ft. Sumner • Promises for schools, rations, economic recovery, improving health • Government health resources – 1889 -1893: 1 doc/18, 000 – Field matrons (sanitation) • The peace Policy – Encouraged missionaries to establish schools and health resources • Presbyterians (Ganado) • Catholics (St. Michaels)

Community Health Nursing With an interpreter: from Hogan to hogan

Washington Matthews, M. D. (1843 -1905) Army Surgeon, stationed at Ft. Wingate

Jonathan Letterman, M. D. • Army physician prior to Matthews – “Navahos have no religion, no legends, no health knowledge” – Matthews: • Navahos have multitude of legends, an elaborate religion with symbolism and allegory comparable to the Greeks • Have numerous prayers and songs – Songs full of poetic images

Who was Washington Matthews? • Born in Ireland – At age three, mother dies – Father brings him to United States • Father is physician • Attends and graduate from medical school – Joins the Army • Confederate Prison • Hidatsa/Mandan in Montana • Navajo work most significant

Matthew’s contribution • A self taught ethnographer – Worked with a number of chanters • 1887: The Mountain Chant: a Navaho Ceremony • 1897: Navaho Legends • 1907: Navaho Myths, Prayers, and Songs – not active in treating patients—but understands chanters not appreciated by most medical providers/missionaries • 1921 passage of the Snyder Act

Under the 1930’s New Deal • Marked by the great depression • Collier, new commissioner • Encouraging cultural revival, more resources – Staff: 23 doctors, 51 nurses, 2 dentists – 1938 new hospital at Ft. Defiance • Blessed by traditional healer • The negative side: livestock reduction

The Native American Church • Banned by the Navajo Tribal Council in 1940 – Aberle: NAC became an alternative to dealing with the emotional devastation associated with livestock reduction • Collier—encouraged various organized religions to come establish churches on reservations

Erasing cultural traditions to foster “civilization” Ganado: “Tradition is the enemy of progress”

The Health care in Ganado • Opened the hospital in 1911 • 1927: Clarence Salisbury, M. D. – Missionary physician – Worked to win the confidence of local community and local healers – hospitals as places of death – Become more culturally sensitive • Initiated the first accredited nursing school for native nurses in the United States (1930 -1953)

Sage Nursing School graduation Ages 18 -30, Unmarried, High school Graduate, and a Health Certificate

Endishodi: Father Berard Haile of St. Michael’s

Father Haile and Chic Sandoval Not a physician but made significant contribution to preserving knowledge about Navajo healing

Father Berard Haile (1874 -1961) • A German, born in Ohio and had a number of siblings • At age 3, Jacob’s mother dies – Father unable to care for all of the children – Placed in a Catholic orphanage • Becomes Franciscan priest – Works with Edward Sapir at U of Chicago (Linguist) – Radcliffe-Brown vs. Sapir • 52 years at St. Michaels – From 1902 -1954

Contribution • Priests were well accepted • Haile developed the Navajo Alphabet – 29 characters in Navajo alphabet – Wrote or helped write 22 books • Worked with a number of chanters • Some of the books by Father Haile – Learning Navaho – Origin Legends of the Navajo Enemy Way – Blessing way, etc.

From Some Navajo Healers: Hosteen Klah, a Chanter (Newcomb area) Worked with Franc J. Newcomb and Mary Cabot Wheelwright

Hosteen Klah’s Sand Painting Rugs 1867 -1937, wove 29 rugs/drawings (NAU/Santa Fe) Age 25, at Chicago’s World Columbian Exposition Died 1937 of pneumonia at Rehoboth hospital Buried near Wheelwright Museum

Frank Mitchell, a Blessingway Singer Charlotte Frisbie and David Mc. Allester, 1978

1950 s: The Termination Era • The Cornell-Many Farms Project • (Kurt Deuschle, M. D. ; Cliff Barnett, Ph. D, etc. ) – Use of healers—TB Sanatoriums • The concern over diminishing number of Navajo healers – 1978 Medicine Men Association formed • Protecting traditional medicine • 1999 NAGPRA – 1999 School for Medicine Men (Robert Bergman)

1960 s • • Economic Opportunity Paving the way for self-determination Improving health/school resources Funding tribes directly – Bypassing BIA – CHR programs – IHS training physician assistants

1970’s Era Self Determination • Using traditional practitioners in Behavioral health programs • Dine’College: Nursing program Dine’College • Making a place for medicine people in the health care arena – Winslow • Increasing the number of Navajo physicians and other health care providers

Making Progress in reclaiming cultural traditions and valuing the gift of healing from both Western and traditional medicine