Niki McCabe

Title: The Path to Reaching Hózhó: Integrating Traditional Navajo/Diné Plant Healing and Osteopathic Medicine

Abstract: The Path to Reaching Hózhó: Integrating Traditional Navajo/Diné Plant Healing and Osteopathic Medicine

This project deep dives into how integrating Traditional Navajo/Diné Plant Healing and Osteopathic Medicine healing practices to provide culturally responsive care can be beneficial for Navajo people. Native Americans have the highest health disparities among any other minority particularly those on the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation is the largest tribe within the US. There many reasons for these health disparities, some of the biggest being not having access to quality healthcare and healthcare not aligning with their cultural values. All of which stem from colonization.
To address this issue, this project contains an Osteopathic course for medical practitioners to integrate Navajo healing with an emphasis in plants to provide culturally responsive care. It includes 4 courses such as How to be Culturally Responsive, Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine and Navajo healing (taught by a Traditional Medicine man), Plant Identification and their healing properties, and lastly How to apply the knowledge to care for patients in a respectful manner. The purpose is to integrate Navajo healing with a patients care while taking a holistic approach to promote wellness. By encouraging Navajo healing in healthcare is supporting Indigenous self determination in their healthcare.