Spirit of Eagles by Chholing Taha (Cree Indian) 2010. Courtesy National Library of Medicine.

The Bio-Medical Library is pleased to host Native Voices: Native Peoples’ Concepts of Health and Illness, which examines concepts of health and medicine among contemporary American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians.

The traveling exhibit, produced by the National Library of Medicine, explores the connection between wellness, illness, and cultural life through a combination of interviews with Native people, artwork, objects, and interactive media.

The exhibit features interviews and works from Native people living on reservations, in tribal villages, and in cities.

Topics include:

• Native views of land, food, community, earth/nature, and spirituality as they relate to
  Native health;
• the relationship between traditional healing and Western medicine in Native communities;
• economic and cultural issues that affect the health of Native communities;
• efforts by Native communities to improve health conditions;
• and the role of Native Americans in military service and healing support for returning Native veterans.

Exhibit details

Related events

The following events are being held in partnership with the U of MN Circle of Indigenous Nations.

Canceled – Art Exhibit: Spirit of Eagles featuring the artwork of Chholing Taha

In this Art@Bio-Med exhibit, Chholing Taha tells stories through paintings and Native American textiles such as shawls, blankets, and hoods. The focus of her work is on beauty, harmony, healing, life, and redemption – for humans as well as the rest of nature under human affect.

Canceled – Opening song and lecture with performance by Randy “Ozaawaagwaneyaash” Gresczyk and lecture by Linda Frizzell, PhD

An opening song will be presented by Randy “Ozaawaagwaneyaash” Gresczyk, and will be followed by a lecture by Linda Frizzell, PhD that will feature a brief history of Native health and an overview of the U of M School of Public Health’s work to address historical health inequities of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Canceled – Lecture: Gardens and Mental Health: an Indigenous Survivors Perspective by Cante Suta-Francis Bettelyoun with introduction by Jody Gray

Cante Suta-Francis Bettelyoun will discuss Indigenous versus western views of health. He will describe how gardening plays an important role in mental health care through his own healing experience of mental illness that developed from childhood trauma. Cante Suta will discuss the roles that taking care of the soil and plants and using these foods/medicine have become beneficial “tools” in helping balance his disease. Cante Suta encourages the open discussion of mental illness to eliminate the stigma surrounding this category of diseases. A brief presentation at the beginning will lead into a group discussion. Questions throughout the discussion are encouraged.

Canceled – Lecture: Native health and wellness by Mary Owen, MD

This lecture by Mary Owen, MD will discuss the many different ways that Native people perceive health and wellness, given how many different communities we come from and our varied degrees of acculturation.

Canceled – Tour: Native American Medicine Gardens by Cante Suta-Francis Bettelyoun

Established in 2003 by Dr. Barbara Graham, Sicangu Lakota Director of the (then) Woodlands Wisdom Confederation, the 4,187 square foot Medicine Gardens were originally intended to bring awareness to links between nutrition and health among Indian people related to health disparities. The Medicine Gardens provide a natural, organic, welcoming, and experiential setting for Native students, staff, faculty and community members to learn about the importance of integrating Native culture into all aspects of life, including food, health, and food sovereignty.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) developed and produced Native Voices: Native Peoples’ Concepts of Health and Illness. The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, in partnership with NLM, tours the exhibition to America’s libraries.