There are concepts in the medical field originating from remote areas that are not understood well and are certainly not spoken of.
One of these concepts is the idea of culture and how different cultures impact the way we practice medicine in those areas.
We cannot assume that our cultural norms automatically apply to societies that have existed and evolved for thousands of years. It simply is not possible.
What I found in the Athabascan culture out on the Yukon River turned my world on its head in so many ways, but the first and most striking difference to my All-American culture was the attitude and treatment of the elders.
I will compare several concepts or assumptions from the culture I grew up in, to the culture I found in one of the most remote areas of the world… bush Alaska.
First, my American culture is a youth-worshiping machine. After youth fades, the value of the individual goes on a steady decline, decade after decade. Just take a look at our “Happy Birthday” cards… a lot of fun poked at the aging process, but underneath is the true message: “Your value is decreasing. You are becoming useless, and the older you get, the more useless you will become.”
The thing is, we buy it. We in America are convinced that this is fact. The idea of older meaning “less than” is so pervasive that we all swallow this as the truth.
If you don’t believe me, take a look at our media… the series St. Denis Medical recently had an episode of “Old People” as they called them. The patients were depicted as imbecile and worthless, trying to be young at a dance designed mostly for the humiliation of the patients and the resulting sick entertainment of the staff.
Compare this to the Native Alaskan cultures that our Wilderness Medical Staffing providers encounter each day:
Here, as the older one gets, the more valuable their opinions and their knowledge become. Wisdom and knowledge, not only of survival in this harsh land, but of life in general are passed to the younger members of the community. In these remote regions of our world, respect for the individual increases with each passing year. In our culture, respect decreases each year. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I first encountered this phenomenon… but as my own years in this culture increased, it became a reality for me. Now, I need to bring this concept, this way of life, to my own culture and especially to meaningful medicine.
People in these far north cultures cannot wait to get old enough to be an elder. Does that sound at all familiar? I didn’t think so. People in our culture will do anything, spend thousands of dollars every year, to look young, as they know that here in mainstream America, age will eventually betray them.
In our culture, we go to great lengths to “disappear” elders…. to put them in an assisted living center or a nursing home. Not that these institutions are void of value, but our attitude of “not seeing” people once they’re in these institutions, exists. All older people in our culture dread “being put in a home,” as they know they will become invisible… and may even cease to exist to those they are closest to.
On the other hand, in the Native Alaskan cultures, elders become more and more visible as they age… and believe me, if you make it to 80 or beyond, the attention gets intense. Elders are seated front and center at gatherings and are always, always given a place of honor.
The first king salmon caught in summer goes to the elders. The first meat of moose killed in fall goes to the elders. Elders eat first.
I could not believe it when, upon my arrival back in the Lower 48, I was at a community function and someone yelled out ,“Time to eat! Kids go first.” Whoa. What?
Not only do I find this disrespectful to elders, but it is hard on our poor kids… they are revered for their needs and what they “want,” though they could not possibly know what to do with this knowledge at such young, tender ages. So, they act like demanding little kings and princesses… and we let them.
If an elder corrects a child in the Native Alaskan communities, the kid listens… again, my culture turned on its head.
In our American culture, we are conditioned to “retire,” i.e. do nothing purposeful, as we are considered not to have a purpose after retirement.
In the Native Alaskan cultures, the “purpose” of the elders is clear… wisdom and leadership of the community. When elders stand to speak, all is quiet. They are listened to as one who knows the best way forward in manners affecting their people.
Wilderness Medical Staffing (WMS) sends hundreds of medical personnel to the remote regions of Alaska, as well as many American Indian reservations here in the “lower 48.” I cannot tell you how many WMS medical providers have come back from being immersed in these cultures with their heads spinning, full of new impressions from these ancient cultures. These concepts are foreign to mainstream America, and they are almost shocking to witness for the first time.
These providers have had their eyes opened to the wisdom, the heart, and the capabilities of elders. And they don’t forget it. I sure didn’t.
We at Wilderness Medical Staffing are changing the way elders are viewed. We are bringing back to mainstream medicine the thousands of years of culture that has succeeded in providing survival and security for the people in far-away land of bush Alaska.
“Meaningful medicine” means embracing every member of our society, our culture, from birth to death. It means being willing to look for the hidden value that our elders hold. It means seeing each and every one of us, no matter the age.