The Big House is Kwakwa’kawakw Medicine

Vera NewmanBarbara Cranmer

Helen BrownKali-Olt Sedgemore

Trevor Isaac

National Aboriginal Health Organization National Conference, 2009 Our People, Our Health

Nov 24-26, 2009

History

Rural Aboriginal Maternity Care Project

(2003-2006)

Kwakwaka’wakw, Culture, Tradition, Health and

Well-Being in Alert Bay2007-2009

Project Goals:

To understand the relationship between Kwakwaka’wakw culture and health;

Create strategies and recommendations to enhance the health of the community through the connection to culture

Logo on scenic

Youth Artists & Research Assistants:

Trevor Isaac & Kali Sedgemore

38 Research Participants:

20 females, 18 males (ages 14-83)

“We believe when we are strong in our culture, we are healthy, and

well-balanced as a people”

History and Tradition as Methodology

The Kwakwa’kawakw

Teachings

Data Analysis

Beginning with the wisdom of the elders – line by line reading, asking “what is important? “How does this insight compare and contrast with what others have said?” “Where are the contradictions?”

Honoring stories and experiences, knowing that how we read the transcripts is shaped by our own ideas about the topic, and our biases and assumptions

“Culture and health

have to go together,

you have to be healthy

to be present, and

being present is

strength in culture”

Findings

We’re Kwakwaka’wakw

and we have laws that

are spiritual that will

sustain us through time.

If we go by the mamala

it will destroy us. We

will be the healthiest

when we can give

expression to that.

I think health and culture should be inseparable. It’s actually

essential because culture is the medium, or the forum or the

process that allows us to give full expression to who we are,

mentally, physically, spiritually, collectively as friends and family,

individually, historically looking forward…

Implications for Health Services in

Alert Bay

Importance of language as

foundational to health

and well-being

The importance of

community driven

change

The necessity of effective

implementation plans

“ People might not

complain since they feel

they are just lucky to

have services at all”

(participant)

Recommendations Evolving health programs to better account for how health and

culture go together in local contexts

Reducing the incidence of illness, disease, and trauma through the

riches of culture, connection and community

Drawing on history and tradition to mitigate the impacts of illness,

disease, and trauma.

Whose voices need to be heard? How will we work together?

The knowledge is here, the capacity is

here if we start to think holistically

about we can resolve some of the

problems. I think the community starts

with good leadership, we see the big

picture and we see how we can

maximize all those resources, we have

it all throughout our community.