Both Worlds
Her mother learned to live both in the Native world and in the modern world
Allison Kelliher, M.D., was born and raised in Nome, Alaska, and is an ethnic mix of Irish, Koyukon Athabascan, and Inupiak. She is a family practice physician in Anchorage who talks about a reverence for the animals and plants that sustain the Alaskan peoples.
Koyukon Athabascan
Nome, Alaska
Alaska
Her mother learned to live both in the Native world and in the modern world
Self treatment with traditional methods leads to delayed care
Boarding schools created a cycle of dependence due to broken families
Hospice as a benefit to individuals who move to the city, to help them cope with isolation
Hospice as a benefit to individuals who move to the city, to help them cope with isolation
Lack of good parental modeling contributes to disconnection form culture and sense of wellness
Respect of plants equal to respect of onself and one’s relationship to the land
Traditionally, when elderly individuals felt they might become a burden, they would commit suicide