The Scalpel and the Silver Bear: The First Navajo Woman Surgeon Combines Western Medicine and Traditional Healing by Lori Alvord

What can we learn from Indigenous practices which would improve our own state of mind and health?

From Publishers Weekly
When Alvord, who is half Navajo, dissected her first cadaver, she broke an important rule in her culture: "Navajos do not touch the dead. Ever." In the process of becoming a "white man's doctor," Alvord discovered that among the indigenous customs her medical training forced her to ignore were valuable healing practices that are sorely needed in allopathic medicine. In this inspiring memoir, Alvord, assisted by Van Pelt, describes her endeavors to integrate a Navaho approach to healing with high-tech medical procedures. She left the pueblo at age 16 to attend Dartmouth on scholarship, survived the numbing vicissitudes of surgical training at Stanford and returned home jubilantly to work as a general surgeon at the local medical center, only to discover that her demeanor and her state-of-the-art skills frightened her patients. Working within her traditional culture, which strongly resists the removal of organs from the body, she soon realized that a trusting relationship with the patient and harmony in the operating room were as necessary as the correct procedure to the success of the operation and the recovery process. As an introduction to Navajo healing principles, this short book offers intriguing ideas about humane health care. While it is unlikely that many physicians will embrace the sacred bear spirit, which is a source of strength and courage for the author, Alvord's message about how to improve a patient's peace of mind is utterly credible.

Brief summary from a student:
Lori is Diné. This means that she is part of the Navajo Nation. She grew up on a Navajo reservation in the sixties. Her father was Navajo and her mother white. Her life path was an exception from her peers. Lori attended Dartmouth University and later went on to receive her medical degree at Stanford University. She became a respected surgeon, who practiced for many years at the Gallup Indian Medical Center in New Mexico where she treated many patients from various nations including Navajo and Hopi. Lori was the first female Navajo surgeon. Her cultural and ethnic identity is at the center of her life story. Early in her medical career, Lori encountered a dichotomy between western medicine and her nation’s beliefs about wellness and healing. Daily, she questioned her belonging among the medical field. Through this story she reveals the challenges she faced while trying to incorporate Navajo philosophy into her patient care. She encourages “Walking in Beauty” a Navajo belief that promotes living in harmony and balance, and taking care of all parts of yourself, including your body mind and spirit. It also means keeping all relationships in balance with the animals, friends, family, and the earth. Her story is filled with both frustrations and hope. It allows the reader to see a glimpse of reservation life and the harsh realities of what has happened to native nations in our country. It also encourages the reader to think deeply about our current system of medical care for all American patients.