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Beingindigenous (Extract from article published in Mapuche Stichting| FOLIL , july 2003) In Chile two mains forms of health care are being used by both Chileans and indigenous people, the traditional and western health care system. The traditional health system can be described as a local health system where concepts like holism and integration play an important role, which have always been present in indigenous societies (PAHO, 1997). Traditional medicine constitutes a body of knowledge
that explains the etiology and procedures of diagnosis, prognosis,
treatment and prevention of disease. This knowledge is transmitted
verbally, from generation to generation, within the indigenous lineage,
as is common in traditional cultures. Patients and healers are said
to be inextricably tied to this health care system. Traditional
health care is mostly based on people’s beliefs and patterns
of behavior and diseases are ascribed to personal or magical, natural,
or supernatural causes. Mapuche said that equilibrium and harmony of the
spiritual and natural world are the most important concepts in traditional
health care. Western health care lacks this equilibrium, since it
concentrates mostly on bodily problems. This article was written out interest how and if
traditional healthcare is being used among the Mapuches. The article
focuses on behavior and perception of Mapuches towards traditional
health care. Since traditional and western forms of health care
usually are being practiced separately, it is especially interesting
to mention that a Makewe hospital in the IX region is the only one
caring about intercultural health care, this means: paying attention
to the Mapuche’s concept of health care. Source: Extract from the interesting article "The use of traditional health care among the Mapuche in Chile" published in Mapuche Stichting| FOLIL http://www.mapuche.nl/, july 2003; by Alethea Kraster: http://www.mapuche.nl/doc/akraster0703_en.doc
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