Spiritual Perspectives
Diabetes and Navajo Teaching

By Johnson Dennison
Special to The Independent

In the past, diabetes was not known to the Navajo people. Therefore, the medicine people and the elders today may not have complete information of exactly what diabetes is nor how to recommend specific treatment. However, the Navajo medicine people have been treating their patients through ceremonies, natural herbs, sweat baths, and native counseling. Today, the Navajo medicine people are very few, but they are still practicing ceremonies and treating their patients in the old ways.

About 60 percent of the Navajo people still go to medicine men and women for treatment, and at the same time, they also seek treatment at clinics and hospitals. There are more than one way to treat patients through ceremonies, but mostly prayers and counseling are common. The ceremonial counseling techniques for healing and health care are common among most of the practitioners.
The traditional medicine people are those still practicing the original Navajo ceremonies, Native American Church Road Men, Crystal Gazers, and Sweat Lodge Facilitators. They have knowledge about teaching and advising Navajo healthy lifestyles, which is also known as the Navajo cultural teachings. It's purpose is to teach not only a way of healing, but to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to live a long life.

In time of illness, patients would feel depressed and hopeless. As a native practitioner, it is a custom to talk to your patient in the most positive way. When a person is ill, it is a social custom not to talk about death or any further complications. This can become a problem for a Navajo diabetic patient when diagnosed with diabetes at a clinic. A Navajo person who has a strong cultural belief and practice will become very upset when death and complications are mentioned. His or her immediate thought about being diabetic is to suffer and to die. At times, the patient may not accept being diabetic, and some family members may even advise the patient not to accept the diagnosis. For this reason, some patients may not come back to the clinic for treatment, and their illness may worsen.

The patient being informed about diabetes complications is for the purpose of "self-care." But the patient misunderstands the message and takes it as threatening and very disrespectful. The distrust and lack of respect between the health providers and patients may result in this type of communication. Sometimes when a patient is so upset, he or she will discontinue his or her medication. When a patient becomes distrustful of clinical treatment, I suggest visiting the patient and talking to them using the native style of communication about health.

When informing a Navajo patient about diabetes complications, he or she could first be reassured of the positive outlook of his or her life. This will give him or her the strength to face the diagnosis. The Blessing Way teachings are a more appropriate approach to consider. The Blessing Way teachings promote a positive attitude toward living a good life. In Navajo, it is spoken as Hozhoogo Naa Shaa Dooleel, or walking in beauty. To walk in beauty means to be healthy. Someone might also say, how could anyone walk in beauty if he or she is diagnosed with a terrible disease? But a person can choose a positive attitude to overcome his or her illness, which is part of healing as well. The Blessing Way teachings are as follows:

• Start with kinship/clan relationships. Your greeting in Navajo should comfort the patient. If not using a Navajo greeting, use a positive comment to assure the person you do care about his or her life.
• Life is a wonderful gift that one must cherish to live and enjoy for a long time. To live a long life was a purpose for self-care: as'ahna'ada.
• To live a positive life means practicing healthy eating.
  To enjoy and live longer means taking responsibility for one's own life and in Navajo, it is said, T'aa hwo ajit'eego.
• A healthy person always has a positive attitude about his life.

Ya'at'eehgo adaanitsahakess.

• It is always appropriate to have self-respect.

Adil jidliigo ya'at'eeh.

• To take care of your body means to eat the right food and to exercise so that your body will be stronger to withstand any illness.
  

Hats'iis baa ahojilyaago al'l, ako jidina'.

• Having a reverence and faith in yourself.
  

Adaa atihati doo adaa hasti'.

• Believe in yourself and have a positive attitude to live longer.
  

Hwe'iina' ei nizhonigo baa nitsidzikees.

• After traditional counseling on a positive life perspective, the patient should be encouraged to take charge of his or her diabetes and life.
  

Johnson Dennison, a Navajo medicine man, is a coordinator in the Office of Native Medicine for the Indian Health Service.

This column is the result of a desire by community members, representing different faith communities, wishing to share their ideas about bringing a spiritual perspective into our daily lives and community issues.

For information about contributing a guest column, contact Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola at the Independent: (505) 863-8611, ext. 218 or lizreligion01@yahoo.com.