ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Integrating Indigenous Wisdom and Culture Into Western Medicine

Dr. Lisa Martin is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. As a Native American, Dr. Martin, has a personal and deeper understanding of the health disparities within the Native American community. In terms of climate change and health, the Native American community is disproportionately impacted by heat stress, air pollution, environmental pollution, and subsequent mental anxieties and illness.Her intimate relationship to the Native American community is revealed in her comments below: The pandemic has influenced healthcare providers with a growing understanding that the social determinants of health (SDH) are linked to a lack of opportunity, and a lack of resources to protect, improve, and maintain health. These factors are most responsible for health inequities.1 Native American populations continue to experience racism and marginalization and therefore suffer some of the highest health disparities as revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The healthcare system of the Indian Health Service/ Tribal Health Care/Urban Indian Health Care (I/T/U) is a healthcare service triad that struggles with under-funded budgets and a lack of recognition from national healthcare insurance programs toward the unique approaches that are needed to serve Native people in any environment —reservation, rural, or urban—toward improved health outcomes. Positive change is greatly needed and overdue. As healthcare providers we all can play a role in the solution to improve health disparities for Native Americans. Indigenization of health care is an inclusion of Indigenous knowledge and worldview that can encourage insight into your own culture and background, privileges, or oppressions that have affected your own life, as well as biases or gaps in knowledge.2 The outcome is

By Lisa Martin, PhD, RN, PHN, AHN-BC, FAAN, and Mike Menzel, MD

a broader, more inclusive approach to health care by opening awareness and increasing creativity and innovation in solutions. Indigenous knowledge systems are embedded in relationship to specific land, culture, and community and have much to offer in terms of possible solutions to climate change. Indigenous communities have long histories of farming, fishing, hunting, relying on the ecological markers such as the first snowfall, arrival of specific plants or bird species to guide when to plant, harvest or perform other tasks. However, because of climate change many of these ecological patterns have been interrupted.3 New collaborations with Indigenous communities are needed to re-envision ways in which we create and include knowledge. Bringing together Indigenization and Indigenous knowledge from around the globe can develop new understanding of solutions for ecology and greater health for all.

References 1. Antoine, A., Mason, R., Palahicky, S., & Rodriguez de France, C. (2019). Pulling together:

A guide for Indigenization of post-secondary institutions. 2. Cornell Chronical. (October 6, 2021). Climate change adaptation requires Indigenous knowledge. 3. CDC. (September 30, 2021). Social determinants of health: Know what affects health.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Lakeview Clinic has what you are

looking for! Join an independent, physicianowned group of 50 providers in the SW Metro. Be a part of a collaborative work environment in a primary care group of family physicians, internists, pediatricians, general surgeons and OB/GYNs. • 4-day work week with 32 contact hours achieving excellent work/life balance

• Excellent compensation with a 2-year partnership track to earn in the top 10% in the state

• Outstanding benefits including 100% paid family health insurance and dental insurance, 401K and profit sharing

• We have 4 sites in the southwest metro:

Chaska, Waconia, Norwood, and Watertown

Due to retirements and growth, we are currently looking for:

◦ Internal Medicine ◦ Family Medicine

CONTACT: administration@lakeviewclinic.com PHONE: 952-442-4461 ext. 7215 WEB: www.lakeviewclinic.com