Traditional A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

Alaska Native medicine is a cultural style of healing that has been passed down from one generation of Alaska Native peoples to the next and is based on success over time and oral tradition. In contrast to an

allopathic Allopathic medicine, or allopathy, is an archaic term used to define science-based modern medicine. Citing: ''Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine'' (2008) and ''Mosby's Medical Dictionary'', 8th ed. (2009). There are regional variations in usage of th ...

or western view of medicine, traditional Alaska Native medicine believes that illness stems from an individual's disharmony with the environment and healing must therefore begin in the person's spirit.

Food

Seal

Seal oil Omega−3 fatty acids, also called Omega-3 oils, ω−3 fatty acids or ''n''−3 fatty acids, are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterized by the presence of a double bond, three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their chem ...

whale oil Whale oil is oil obtained from the blubber of whales. Whale oil from the bowhead whale was sometimes known as train oil, which comes from the Dutch word ''traan'' ("tears, tear" or "drop"). Sperm oil, a special kind of oil obtained from the ...

, and the meats of these animals are the predominant healing substances used by members of the

Inuit culture The Inuit are an indigenous people of the Arctic and subarctic regions of North America (parts of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland). The ancestors of the present-day Inuit are culturally related to Iñupiat (northern Alaska), and Yupik (Siberia and ...

. These substances are believed to provide warmth which is a condition of health to this culture as warmth is the essence of well-being. Seal is used preventatively by hunters who eat the animal's meat before going on a hunt to increase endurance and ward off weakness, hypothermia, and frostbite. The oils and meat are also used to prevent depression and other diseases of the soul. Medicinally and as a remedy, seal is used as a treatment for ear infections, gastrointestinal disturbances, nausea, headache, fractures, lice, skin rashes, and acne.

Wild berries

Alaska Natives traditionally harvest a variety of wild berries as general food consumption, but the berries also play a significant role in health as well. Salmon berries, which are similar to raspberries, have been used for wound healing and as gynecological aids; the leaves and stems of blackberries are used to treat

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...

and to counter kidney trouble; and highbush and bog blueberries are used topically and orally as medicines. The high antioxidant activity in wild berries also helps to reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, cognitive decline and cancer.

Plants

Devil's club

The Tlingit culture is known for using

devil's club Devil's club or devil's walking stick (''Oplopanax horridus'', Araliaceae; syn. ''Echinopanax horridus'', ''Fatsia horrida'') is a large understory shrub native to the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, but also disjunct on islands in Lake S ...

for a variety of ailments. The weed can be turned into tea, mashed into a salves, chewed, and steamed to help with illnesses such as colds, coughs, stomach problems,

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

hypoglycemia Hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar, is a fall in blood sugar to levels below normal, typically below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L). Whipple's triad is used to properly identify hypoglycemic episodes. It is defined as blood glucose belo ...

, cancer, depression, broken bones, congestion, and inflammation. The Tlingit consider devil's club to be "strong medicine" due to its effects on the psycho-pharma-spiritual aspects.

Willow trees

One commonly known medicinal benefit from the

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

tree is the use of its bark. Alaska Natives and other Native American tribes have used the bark from the Willow tree as a pain killer. In fact, the bark does contain acetylsalicylic acid which is now called

aspirin Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to reduce pain, fever, and/or inflammation, and as an antithrombotic. Specific inflammatory conditions which aspirin is used to treat inc ...

and has been commercialized as an over the counter pain killer. The willow tree's leaves can also be used in a

poultice A poultice, also called a cataplasm, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth and placed over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body. It can be used on wounds, such as cuts. 'Poultice' ...

or bath to ease skin infections or irritations and, when turned into an ash, can be sprinkled on severe burns to prevent cuts from becoming infected.

Dandelions

Each part of the

dandelion ''Taraxacum'' () is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, which consists of species commonly known as dandelions. The scientific and hobby study of the genus is known as taraxacology. The genus is native to Eurasia and Nor ...

can and has been used by Native Alaskans and other Native Americans for medicinal use. It is rich in a variety of vitamins (A, B, C, and D) and minerals and helps with liver issues such as

hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pa ...

and

jaundice Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults is typically a sign indicating the presence of underlying diseases involving abnormal heme meta ...

as well as being a natural

diuretic A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics in ...

and

laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...

. The root of the weed is also used as a caffeine substitute.

Types of healers

Shamans

Shamans Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...

are religious and spiritual leaders who are considered "magico-religious." This is due to their ability to heal severe conditions that border on supernatural origin and cannot be tended to by traditional remedies. Shamans differ from traditional healers in that these individuals possess the ability to travel by trance to other realms in search of answers to a person's illness. They also take on a variety of roles within their community including healers, magicians, politicians, psychologists, predictors of weather and good hunts, priests, social workers, and mystics.

Traditional healers

Traditional healers deal with everyday forms of illness or injury and can include

herbalists Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remed ...

, surgeons, massage specialists,

midwives A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; con ...

, or

medicine men A medicine man is a traditional healer and spiritual leader among the indigenous people of the Americas. Medicine Man or The Medicine Man may also refer to: Films * ''The Medicine Man'' (1917 film), an American silent film directed by Clifford S ...

and women. What sets traditional Alaska Native healers apart from western doctors is both their traditional methods as well as the source of their healing abilities. Both shamans and traditional healers receive their gift of healing from a stronger spiritual source which communicates to them through visions or dreams, consciousness-altering illness, or apprenticeship to another healer.

Organizations

Southcentral Foundation

Southcentral Foundation Southcentral Foundation (SCF) is an Alaska Native health care organization established by Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI) in 1982 to improve the health and social conditions of Alaska Native and American Indian people, enhance culture, and empower in ...

is an Alaska Native health care organization that serves Alaska Native and American Indian people who live in Anchorage, the

Matanuska-Susitna Valley Matanuska-Susitna Valley () (known locally as the Mat-Su or The Valley) is an area in Southcentral Alaska south of the Alaska Range about north of Anchorage, Alaska. It is known for the world record sized cabbages and other vegetables displayed ...

, and 55 rural villages across the state of Alaska. The organization focuses on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness and emphasizes the importance of culture as well as provides access to traditional healing services. The organization also has a Traditional Healing Clinic in which tribal doctors take a traditional approach to healing and offer services such as traditional counseling, traditional physical (including healing hands and healing touch), and a women’s talking circle. The clinic also has an Alaska Native traditional healing garden in which plants that have been used for medicinal use for generations are grown.

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

The

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) is a non-profit health organization based in Anchorage, Alaska, which provides health services to 158,000 Alaska Natives and American Indians in Alaska. Established in 1997, ANTHC is a consortium ...

is a Tribal health organization that serves Alaska Native and American Indian people who live in the state of Alaska. The organization provides a variety of services including comprehensive medical services at the

Alaska Native Medical Center The Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC) is a non-profit health center based in Anchorage, Alaska, United States, which provides medical services to 158,000 Alaska Natives and other Native Americans in Alaska. It acts as both the secondary and ...

, wellness programs, disease research and prevention, rural provider training and rural water and sanitation systems construction. The organization also focuses on traditional approaches to wellness and food sources.

Sources

{{ReflistRetrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10393-011-0707-9 Healthcare in Alaska Alaska Native culture Native American health Traditional medicine