“There are barriers to overcome that this clerkship has helped me identify. The knowledge that medicine is not always something we take but can be something we do together makes me hopeful about how we can incorporate [traditional medicine] practices in patients’ lives.”

• Jason F (Lummi Nation), UW IHP Graduate/Naa káani TMP Clerk

The Naa káani Native Program partners with the University of Washington Indian Health Pathway program to host medical students and aid them in completing non-clinical hours toward their clerkships. Through this partnership, Naa káani aims to provide a program grounded in Indigenous knowledge that transforms the way Indigenous people access and experience healthcare through educating and empowering the next generation of healthcare associates.
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This program consists of both online classes and in-person medicine activities, where students will learn a variety of Native topics, such as: the history of local PNW tribes, traditional medicine, food and salve making, Indigenous environmental justice, and more. In-person activities teach students about traditional gathering history and methods, environmental impact, and how to use gathered plants in traditional medicine. Through the program, students are expected to learn how local Indigenous peoples practice traditional medicine, understand and respect those practices, and how to connect with those who may request this type of practice.

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