Day 8 of Travel

I have experience nothing but generosity this week. Everyone I am in contact with was beyond willing to share their knowledge about this culture and healthcare system with me. They made sure that we felt comfortable in this new environment and that we were able to learn as much as possible. When I came here, I was afraid that I would offend someone or overstep my bounds, and they made sure that nothing that I did or said would offend someone. The healthcare system here is designed for the needs of this culture to make for a healthier future and generation. They have dealt with a constant struggle in access to healthcare because of distance, money, or availability. They have designed their healthcare system so that all their services serve this culture, what they need, and they have made it so that all of it is under one roof. Having these services so readily available is important because if you look at how this culture has been going, it has been like a circle, with unhealthy habits being taught to future generations. If these upcoming generations are taught about these services and how to be healthier, they can pass this on and instead of a broken circle being passed on, it will be a complete one. One thing that was a little out of my comfort zone was Kanvowtiyi Treatment Center. When it comes to mental health, I can be unsure what I should do. I do not want to do something to offend someone or hinder their healing process. I have learned that they most are not bothered by our presence and do not mind telling their story. When going back to my first blog I do believe that I was able to learn a lot about this community. This was a very eye-opening experience for me. I thought that I was going to come here and see how these people are struggling with things like addiction and poverty and that maybe resources that we have could help this community. I learned that they have all of the resources available already, but a lot of people do not use them either due to lack of trust in the healthcare system, or lack of wanting to get help. I have learned that they way that they do things is how I wish our healthcare system was set up. I knew that I had a lot to learn, but I never realized just how much. This experience has made me think about all the things that I can try and do in my own job when it comes to helping patients by just being more attentive to their needs.