Nughejagh - To Become Whole

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Nughejagh, which translates to 'to become whole' in Dena'ina, Dene, embodies the profound mission of our project. Our goal is not just to improve but to transform the health and well-being of Indigenous people, a mission of utmost significance and urgency. The project aims to achieve its mission through the focus on three areas;

Training 

Providing culturally responsive and trauma-informed (CRTI) practice training to current and future healthcare professionals and caregivers. This is vital to the project’s mission as statistics show that only .2- .3% of medical practitioners in the United States are Alaska Native/American Indian. Lack of representation in healthcare has resulted in ineffective treatment of Indigenous people. 

Power of Place

The project promotes healing through the revitalization and rejuvenation of cultural practice, including safeguarding and honoring sacred places. The Native Village of Eklutna’s current Pow Wow grounds are sacred and have a rich cultural history that deserves recognition and a dignified structure to celebrate history and cultural practices. Working with the Native Village of Eklutna’s Tribal council and the UAA Architectural and Engineering Technology program, designs for a powerful and respectful place to celebrate Dena’ina culture is coming to fruition.

Empowerment

The project aims to empower Indigenous people to embrace and nurture their Indigenous heritage through the reclamation and restoration of Indigenous Traditional Healing Practices through the development of an Intertribal Indigenous Traditional Healing Database. This database will allow tribes to share healing knowledge with one another. The traditional knowledge will be vetted by an Indigenous Elder Steering Council and will have safeguards to protect content from being exploited and appropriated. This component of the project not only promotes healing but also provides a way for Indigenous knowledge to be preserved so that it may be passed down to future generations. 

The Alaska Native Elder Steering Council, a cornerstone of our project, will provide comprehensive oversight for all research, training development, traditional healing knowledge preservation, and cultural activities. Their involvement is a testament to our commitment to ensuring that all project efforts are culturally sound and relevant to the needs of Alaska's Indigenous communities.

 

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