Roselyn Tso, director of the federal government’s Bureau of Indian Health, praised these practices that have helped people for generations, calling them “an important link between culture, science, and health in many communities. ”.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a two-year pilot program in response to the health challenges facing Native Americans, who suffer from some of the highest rates of addiction and overdose deaths in the country.
Advocates are optimistic that expanding Medi-Cal coverage will increase access to culturally competent care and allow for facility expansion. However, it all depends on the redemption rate, which has not yet been announced.
Historically, substance use treatment in the United States has relied on clinical approaches such as medication-assisted treatment, behavioral therapy, and standardized detox protocols. However, these methods often fall short when applied to Native American communities.
Damian Chase Begay, an American Indian health researcher at the University of Montana, explains the difference. “Traditional practices are holistic in nature,” he said. “They treat the person physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. They benefit the whole being, not just the physical symptoms.”
Although scientific research on these approaches remains limited, preliminary research suggests that integrating cultural practices into addiction treatment may lead to higher patient engagement and more positive recovery outcomes. It is suggested. Most of the existing evidence is qualitative, Chase-Begay said, highlighting the need for more comprehensive research, but funding is lacking.
“What California currently covers under Medi-Cal is exactly what our indigenous communities have been asking for to be covered for years,” Chase Begay said. He believes that with this support, the cycle of intergenerational trauma and substance use could have been broken earlier.
For Lenares, Friendship House was more than just a treatment center, it was a path to self-discovery. “I am a woman who understands the medicine that my ancestors prayed for,” she says. “A woman who knows her songs. A woman who knows her rituals.”
Lenares currently volunteers at Friendship House and works full time for a domestic violence agency. Her story is a powerful testament to the potential for healing when culture and medicine intersect.
