For the last several years, ORN has served as a lead sponsor of the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) Cross-Cultural Medicine Workshop (CCMW), held in Albuquerque, NM each year to coincide with the Gathering of Nations. AAIP is an ORN partner organization.
ORN’s Indigenous Communities Advisory Team (ICAT) was on hand at this year’s workshop to share ways that AAIP members can help with tribal efforts to mitigate substance use and the effect of substance use disorders. The ICAT is composed of tribal professionals and strong tribal allies, all with significant experience working with and within Native communities. The ICAT works closely with the Indigenous Communities Response Team (ICRT), which includes regionally located Native ORN staff members focused on supporting Native communities and Tribal Opioid Response grantees with resources and free training to address opioid and stimulant use disorders.
ORN has become a welcome part of the CCMW, providing not only information on ORN but sharing perspectives on tribal-adapted approaches to treating substance use disorders, particularly opioid use disorder and stimulant use disorder. These approaches build on the strengths of Native clients and their communities.
A large part of the audience at the CCMW are Native medical students and residents. While they represent various medical specialties, all will likely encounter patients with substance use disorders — and they can make a difference in someone’s life no matter their area of practice.
“It doesn’t matter what field they go into,” says Holly Echo-Hawk, national co-chair of the ORN ICAT. “They still need to know about addiction.”
One example of how ORN shares these lessons was through a case study – a fictitious Native patient named “Johnny.” The story moves backward in time, starting when Johnny is 46 years old and in the ICU being treated for endocarditis that resulted from injection drug use. The story illustrates multiple points in Johnny’s life where there were missed opportunities to redirect his path toward wellness and healing. The story goes all the way back to when Johnny is in utero, being carried by a mother who was struggling with substance use. The story shows how if Johnny’s mother had compassionate and culturally acceptable intervention when she was young, Johnny’s story may have had a different trajectory.
The audience was also given examples of tribal-adapted screening questions for substance use. For example, in conventional screening, one question may be: “Do you ever feel bad or guilty about your drug use?” But a tribal-specific alternative might be: “Do you think your aunties/uncles/grandparents are worried about your drug use?”
ORN’s ICAT tries to make every talk engaging, relatable, and different each year. Holly Echo-Hawk, who gave the talk this year, doesn’t use a PowerPoint. She is not “presenting;” rather, she is telling a story of real-life experiences that are relatable to the AAIP audience.
This year, when attendees entered the room, at each place setting they found ORN materials, as well as a cedar sprig from Alaska, gathered by Echo-Hawk’s sister, wrapped in red yarn. In many Native American traditions, cedar is revered as a sacred tree, its branches used in ceremonies to symbolize spiritual protection and connection.
“I’m deeply honored to be a part of this team,” said Melanie Johnson, an ICAT member. “AAIP was a stepping stone for me — it helped ignite the fire that led me to where I am today. Coming back each year to see the students and reconnect with colleagues feels like returning home. Tom Anderson, who recently retired as Executive Director, always ensured we were cared for — he treated us like part of the work family.”
“They look forward to seeing us,” Echo-Hawk says, adding that ICAT and ICRT provide a model for cultural connectedness.
If your organization would like to learn how ORN can help your community address substance use in a culturally connected way, use the Submit a Request button at the top of this page to share your needs!