Death & Dying
Navajo tradition forbids speaking about death, so physicians must find other ways to talk about terminal illness
Michael Painter is both a physician and a lawyer, and a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Dr. Painter works primarily in the areas of health care quality and health care disparities--specializing in health and health care issues that specifically affect urban American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Cherokee Nation
Princeton Junction, New Jersey
Southeast
Navajo tradition forbids speaking about death, so physicians must find other ways to talk about terminal illness
Communication between physician and patient as a productive means to addressing non-compliance
Our government has made some terrible mistakes, but there is hope and the hope is coming from the people themselves
Native beliefs about illness and the role of traditional healers in restoring balance
Navajo tradition forbids speaking about death, so physicians must find other ways to talk about terminal illness
A traditional healing liaison facilitates communication between physicians and patients