This week in Cherokee has quite an experience. Prior to arriving, I knew very little of this culture. Even now, while I know more today than I did a week ago, there is still much that I could learn from and about the Cherokee. My initial assumption was that the Cherokee would dislike "outsiders" or "white" Americans given the past several hundred years of history. I found this to be quite the opposite. Many individuals I interacted with were polite and welcoming, even when interacting with an obvious "outsider" as myself. These interactions included restaurants, such as Granny's, where we were able to listen to two elder women talk with us or at the museum where Jerry Wolfe (a Beloved Man and elder of the Eastern Band) signed a pamphlet for each member of our group. On our last day, Victoria, who is amazingly knowledgeable, provided each of us with a lanyard.
In regards to improving the health if others, it is difficult to do this with a population when acting strictly as an observer. However, when talking with Victoria, she (and Kayla at times) often referenced The Right Way in regards to interacting with others. The one thing I took from her explanation was that it is always easy to assume why someone makes a negative choice. The important thing to remember is that everyone has a story and I need to realize that I do not know someone elses story so I should not presume to know why a person makes a choice. I will trying to take this approach in the future when interacting with patients to build a better rapport.
In regards to what the Cherokee can do to improve their health, they are taking steps to work on the substance abuse issues within their culture. I think that more education for younger individuals on the dangers or different drugs could be beneficial. Also, possibly considering some sort of financial planning for younger members so they are better prepared for the large per capita fund on their 18th birthday. This education can extend to older members and parents so as to reinforce this with younger members. Approaches such as this can help preserve the health and heritage of the Cherokee in preventing deaths related to overdose, but also allow individuals to be more productive in their society. It may also allow more individuals to take an active part in sharing their culture with those individuals who are less informed.
Much of this week was about learning about a different culture and their healthcare system. In my opinion, the Oconaluftee village may have been the experience most outside my comfort zone. It seemed to be set up similar to a historical Native American village, and the individuals there dressed in traditional clothing while explaining different activities that would occur. There were also several dances being performed that we were able to watch, some in our group being able to participate at the end. This whole experience, to me, seemed kind of awkward, but I do appreciate how they are trying to show what a native village was like hundreds of years ago.
The experiences during this trip have helped me to better understand the Cherokee culture as a whole. Looking back on my initial post last week, I was concerned about possibly causing offense to individuals on this trip. Specifically, whether Cherokee members preferred to be called "Indians" or "Native Americans". During our time talking with Victoria, she explained that neither are accurate descriptions. The Cherokee were native to the land long before European settlers arrived. However, both terms seem to be prevalent in the culture, such as the Cherokee Indian Hospital. Also, it seemed as though the Cherokee simply want to be respected as a people and a culture. Many individuals I interacted with seemed to be understanding of my obvious ignorance to this culture, but I think that having an open mind to different values and beliefs from my own helped.
Much of this week was about learning about a different culture and their healthcare system. In my opinion, the Oconaluftee village may have been the experience most outside my comfort zone. It seemed to be set up similar to a historical Native American village, and the individuals there dressed in traditional clothing while explaining different activities that would occur. There were also several dances being performed that we were able to watch, some in our group being able to participate at the end. This whole experience, to me, seemed kind of awkward, but I do appreciate how they are trying to show what a native village was like hundreds of years ago.
The experiences during this trip have helped me to better understand the Cherokee culture as a whole. Looking back on my initial post last week, I was concerned about possibly causing offense to individuals on this trip. Specifically, whether Cherokee members preferred to be called "Indians" or "Native Americans". During our time talking with Victoria, she explained that neither are accurate descriptions. The Cherokee were native to the land long before European settlers arrived. However, both terms seem to be prevalent in the culture, such as the Cherokee Indian Hospital. Also, it seemed as though the Cherokee simply want to be respected as a people and a culture. Many individuals I interacted with seemed to be understanding of my obvious ignorance to this culture, but I think that having an open mind to different values and beliefs from my own helped.
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