Hi Mary,

You may want to contact the french doctors working in the project takiwasi.com. They are doing research there for more than 10 years on indigenous healthcare traditions in Peruvian Amazon.

There is also an indigenous hospital (mapuche) in Chile, where regular doctors work along with Mapuche shamans (called macho). The hospital is base in Temuco, the heartland of Mapuche region, and is named Makewe. It was planned to open a second Mapuche hospital in the island of Chiloé, but I do not know if it took place.

There is also a Mexican indigenous hospital. You may want to ask in PAHO (Panamerican Health Organization) that had an office on Native American Health.

Hope this helps you.

Carmen

Thank you so much for your comments, Carmen -- are they looking at developing an indigenous evidence-base?  Best, em

It is not my topic or focus of investigation. I focus on culture, so it happened that I met the people who ran the locals, but did not ask them what you are looking for. In any case, regular doctors are involved, so I may guess, that they are also looking for evidence.

Tx so much for your info!  em

Just for your information, the Mapuche shamans are called machi. The system keeps changing the word to macho. Hope it keeps the right spelling now.

The following articles address some of the issues with respect to mental health with respect to Indigenous peoples and other ethnocultural groups: 

Gone, J. P. (2015). Reconciling evidence-based practice and cultural competence in mental health services: Introduction to a special issue. Transcultural psychiatry, 52(2), 139-149.

Kirmayer, L. J. (2012). Cultural competence and evidence-based practice in mental health: Epistemic communities and the politics of pluralism. Social Science & Medicine, 75(2), 249-256.

Whitley, R., Carpenter-Song, E., Rousseau, C., & Kirmayer, L. J. (2011). Evidence-based medicine: opportunities and challenges in a diverse society. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56(9), 514.

There is it seems a small Research Project in Guatemala oing on, they showed in the German TV. But sorry no Details any more.

Indigenous healthcare: where are the Limits? How about traditional Chinese, Japanese, Ayurveda, Unani etc. medicines?

The Guatemala Acupuncture and Medical aid Project has since 1994 has taught acupuncture as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to indigenous K'ekchi Maya in Peten Guatemala, starting with returning refugees, transitioning to internally displaced in the post war period (1995 onward.) The model integrates Mayan medicine which is specific to the roles played by local healers (bone setters, mid wives, ceremonial priests, massage, etc)  acupuncture, and modern bio-medicine mostly as prevention measures (the later) in local clinics. Some 50-60% of TX's are with acupuncture. The 21 trained acupuncturists are active in 20 communities  currently, with another 9 students graduating from a two year course in fall 2016. the coverage will then expand to in 8 counties/municipalities. The practitioners are paid a small amount for each treatment. Mayan medicine is legal in Guatemala and recognized but not supported by the Ministry of Health.

In the past two years we have used more overt introduction of local plant medicines into the training and that knowledge is strictly from the K'ekchi.WE designed curriculum requested by local practitioners for Pediatrics in Times of Natural Disasters (flooding due to climate change impacts in lowland rainforrest).

It compliments TCM because plant medicine is the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine, an acupuncture is the second line of TX normally.  Look under my name (Blake Gentry)  for two GUAMAP research findings posted in Research Gate, or go to www.guamap.net > Press and Events > GUAMAP 2006 APHA, GUAMAP 2004 APHA.

Also, the English version of a book published comparing Chinese Traditional Medicine and Yucateco Mayan traditional medicine has a comprehensive look at the knowledge base of both indigenous systems. Traditional Chinese Medicine is indigenous to China and was only standardized under Mao Se Tung. It has several thousand years of written texts. the English Title: Wind in the Blood, from Atlantic Press was written by Mexican doctors and an acupuncturist.  Yucatecos have a continued practice of puncture medicine similar but limited when compared to TCM however it is used in the Yucatan. There is also,  Model of Indigenous Maya Medicine in Guatemala, 2002, ASECSA. ASECSA is a partner in the work of GUAMAP in Peten, Guatemala, the largest province in Guatemala, nearly 30% of national territory,

There is a WHO document you may find useful:

Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trails.

It covers fifteen disorders and uses TCM as a test group while controlling with a Western Medicine TX for most trials.

 Thanking everyone for their assistance -- in my work with AI/AN pops, I've researched Gone, et al, and there is a potential structure, but their work is behavioral and I'm looking for the non-behavioral -- I wasn't clear on that in my question.  If anyone knows of EBP paradigm development, in re: non-behavioral tribal health disparities, I'm looking for you!

What an interesting question. I did write an article on indigenous healing methods which I included here and I think the topic is a very important one. I also included another one that discusses indigenous methods of healing in Asian traditions.

Article Depathologizing Asian American Perspectives of Health and Healing

Article Indigenous and Interdependent Perspectives of Healing: Impli...