1.
why do you think Alvord did not “inform her obstetrician” of her plan to visit a traditional Navajo
healer?
I believe she felt that if she did inform her obstetrician, she would advise against it or even force
her to stay at the office/go to the hospital to have the Cesarean section immediately.
2.
What do you think the obstetrician might have advised if he or she had known of the plan?
The obstetrician would have advised against doing the ritual that it would greatly impact her
health and put her at risk. She might have advised that she don’t do it and go immediately to the
hospital to have the Cesarean section instead of proceeding to do the ritual.
3.
What do you think might be the purpose of the medicine bundle and the eagle feathers in the
ritual?
I think the medicine bundle was to represent everything she is holding on to. To show all the
negative, fear, concern and doubt that she is holding on to. The feathers in the ritual I think
represents the flying away of these bad negative thoughts.
4.
Can you think of similar objects used in western medical settings?
The medicine bundle could have been compared to a stress ball. The you squeeze when
stressed.
5.
In what way may health care providers be like shamans? Consider, to what extent is any
credentialed health care provider, practicing in a sacred space or a “traditional” community of
the patient, that is not usually accessible to “outsiders”, a kind of ritual specialist?
You go to both (healthcare providers and shamans) when you are not feeling well to get advice
to feel better. For both of them you have to go see them in their office/space (for health care
worker it would be a office/ medical setting and for a shamans might be a house, tent, or place
of worship) and make an appointment to see them. In today’s community I would say that this is
similar to acupuncture, yoga or cupping. That all have now started to be used in traditional
medical settings in some way.
