The Scapel and the Silver Bear: The First Navajo Woman Surgeon Combines Western Medicine and Traditional Healing

by Lori Arviso Alvord, Elizabeth Cohen Van Pelt

In a remarkable book that takes the reader on a spellbinding journey between two worlds, surgeon Lori Arviso Alvord describes her struggles to bring modern medicine to the Navajo reservation in Gallup, New Mexico—and to bring the values of her people to a medical care system in danger of losing its heart.

Finding the solutions to modern medicine's most daunting problems was far from the mind of a girl from a small, dusty town on a Navajo reservation. But Lori Arviso Alvord would leave the traditional hogans of her people to attend the prestigious Stanford University Medical School and become the first Navajo woman surgeon. Only after conquering the high-tech realm of the operating room would this extraordinarily talented doctor realize something was missing from contemporary medical care—an understanding of the whole person who has come seeking healing.

The Scalpel and the Silver Bear tells of Dr. Alvord's pioneering journey to become a woman surgeon, fighting the odds presented by her own culture and the unspoken rules that made surgery the territory of a privileged class of males. Then, having accomplished her dreams, the strong-willed young woman would find herself faced with a different challenge: learning another approach to medicine amid the Hataali, the medicine men of the Diné, the people we call Navajo.

Here in this moving, enlightening, and provocative volume, Dr. Alvord teaches us how she merged the latest breakthroughs of science and methodology with the ancient tribal paths to recovery and wellness. In dramatic encounters while practicing reservation medicine—a man whose intestine was pierced by a porcupine quill, which he insisted was placed there by an enemy's curse; a woman who had been struck by lightning and blamed her cancer on it; an all-night winter sing for a gravely ill young woman, attended by the whole community—Dr. Alvord witnessed the power of belief to influence health, for good or for ill. She discovered that patients undergoing chemotherapy did better after having a native healer at bedside, and that the feelings of both the patient and the surgeon could affect recovery time, postsurgical complications, and even whether the patient lived or died.

The secret, Lori Alvord discovered, lay in the Navajo philosophy of a balanced and harmonious life, called "Walking in Beauty." Her sharing of these ancient principles promises to have an immeasurable impact on today's doctors and patients by expanding the concept of mind-body healing to include the interconnectedness of all life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Medicine, Memoir, Medical, Native American, Biography, Health

Hardcover

First published June 1, 1999

Reviews

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this concept: "Navajo people have a concept called [Walking in Beauty], but it isn't the beauty that most people think of. Beauty to Navajos means living in balance and harmony with yourself and the world. It means caring for yourself--mind, body, and spirit--and having the right relationships with your family, community, the animal world, the environment--earth, air, and water--our planet and universe. If a person respects and honors all these relationships, then they will be Walking in Beauty."

Highly recommend this book for medical professionals; great insights into giving compassionate, culturally competent care.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always fun to read a book in which you find the names of people you have known in the past. In this book appear Alan Waxman MD an OB-GYN with whom I worked at the Alaska Native Medical Center in 1979, and Brooke Medicine Eagle with whom I did a vision quest in Montana. They each only get a sentence , but it was a pleasant surprise. The Beauty Way is the pathway Navajos seek to walk in life. This is a life in harmony with family, community, and nature. If a person disrupts this harmony then he/she becomes ill. The traditional Navajo healer sings to the patient to try to restore this harmony. We would do well to try to learn to walk on the path of beauty.

[Isabel McIlhenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read quite a few memoirs in the past few weeks, and all of them, including this one, have given me insight into the lives of different people in America. It has been interesting to see how where you grew up, and the community you grew up in can have an effect on your life. I was extremely intrigued by Alvord’s thought that certain aspects of native culture could be beneficial if implemented in modern medicine. I like the idea that belief and comfort can have an actual effect on how people recover from disease or injury. To me, it speaks to the power of community, and how important that is for people. Alvord’s story is inspiring and insightful which is why I would give this book 4 stars.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this non-fiction account of the life journey of the first female Navajo surgeon. It is short and simply written. This book reminds us all of some of the problems in medicine, and how all the technology in the world is useless without harmony and balance in the patient's life. Lori Arviso Alvord does such a nice job of explaining how she brought these two worlds together for the benefit of her patients. It's a lessen everyone in the healthcare industry would do well to study.

[Alison Petchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many rituals performed by the Navajo but my favourite is the celebration of a baby’s first laugh in which the person who made the baby laugh must host a party and give the guests candy and rock salt on behalf of the baby and it’s family. It is believed that by doing this the baby will grow up to be generous and giving. It is also believed that the soul (also called “the wind”) enters the body soon after birth and that a baby’s laugh is a sign that the soul has become attached to the body. What a beautiful thing to celebrate.
Having recently travelled to the Southwest I’ve become very interested in the Navajo and other tribes and their customs and ways. This little gem of a book was written by an extremely accomplished lady who has not only straddled both worlds successfully but managed to combine the wisdom of both for greater effect. She introduces very early the concept of Walking in Beauty which she has not only woven into her own medical and surgical practice but also teaches at the Dartmouth Medical School. Given the Native American culture which, for many reasons, places limitations on the sharing of such insights, the entire book felt quite a privilege to read.

[Quirky Shauna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord is the first Navajo woman to be board certified in surgery. I enjoyed learning more about the Navajo culture and specifically about this amazing woman!

I remember the mystery illness in 1993 around the Four Corners area when young, healthy adults were quickly dying with a complete failure of the lungs, ARDS. Even at Primary Children's Hospital we were preparing to be able to care for any pediatric patients though we didn't ever need to. It was identified as hantevirus which was contracted from deer mice droppings. Dr. Arviso discusses this contrasting the Navajo healer's view, focusing on a macro cause, as compared to epidemiologists, with a micro focus.

She was nominated to serve as the U.S. Surgeon General in 2013. She was born on a reservation in New Mexico, went to college at Dartmouth, attended Stanford for medical school, and was a surgeon in Gallup, New Mexico with the Indian Health Service for several years. Then she was asked to be an associate dean at Dartmouth Medical Center. Her focus is on holistic medicine, joining Navajo healing and balance with Western technical medical knowledge.

Quotes:
“Navajos believe in hozho or hozhoni – “Walking in Beauty” – a worldview in which everything in life is connected and influences everything else…So Navajos make every effort to live in harmony and balance with everyone and everything else. Their belief system sees sickness as a result of things falling out of balance, of losing one’s way on the path of beauty. In this belief system, religion and medicine are one and the same.”

"Navajo people have a concept called [Walking in Beauty], but it isn't the beauty that most people think of. Beauty to Navajos means living in balance and harmony with yourself and the world. It means caring for yourself--mind, body, and spirit--and having the right relationships with your family, community, the animal world, the environment--earth, air, and water--our planet and universe. If a person respects and honors all these relationships, then they will be Walking in Beauty."

Mountain Chantway

The voice that beautifies the land!
The voice above
The voice of thunder
Within the dark cloud,
Again and again it sounds,
The voice that beautifies the land!
The voice of the grasshopper
Among the plants,
Again and again it sounds,
The voice that beautifies the land!


Night Chant

House made of dawn
House made of evening light
House made of the dark cloud
Dark cloud is at the house's door,
The trail out of it is dark cloud
The zigzag lightning stands high upon it
Happily may I walk
Happily with abundant showers, may I walk
Happily with abundant plants, may I walk
Happily, on the trail of pollen, may I walk.
Happily, may I walk.
May it be beautiful before me.
May it be beautiful behind me.
May it be beautiful below me.
May it be beautiful above me.
May it be beautiful all around me.
In beauty it is finished.

"It is very hard to heal a person who does not believe they will get well, or a person who does not want to. Most doctors will agree that such patients fare very poorly. A sing by a hauaalii [healer] gives Navajo patients a dimension to their cure that is often crucial to their survival. These patients prepared themselves mentally and spiritually to fight their disease, a very Navajo concept."

Native American writer and healer, Brooke Medicine Eagle, points out that the word HEAL comes from the same root as WHOLE and HOLINESS. For Navajos, wholeness and holiness are the same thing. The system of life is one interconnected whole. Everything is related, according to Navajo beliefs – it is an organic and integrated way of looking at the world. The causes and cures for illness are woven into everything else.

"What works for me, whether I have five or fifty-five minutes, is to give myself completely to my patient for that time. I listen carefully to them and let them know that my attention is completely focused on them and that this is their time."

Utah mention
Jon Alvord, an Army Special Forces medic, met Dr. Lori at the hospital in Gallup, New Mexico. He's eleven years her junior. Two months after their first date he proposed and a year later they were married - one ceremony in the hills above Salt Lake City and one in a hogan in Churchrock on the reservation.

The Navajo Plague - 1993
"Dr. Ben Muneta, a Navajo who happened to work for the CDC, visited Andy Natonabah, a hataalii [medicine man.] Natonabah told him the illness was caused by an excess of rainfall, which had caused the pinon trees to bear too much fruit. The unexpectedly large harvest of pinon nuts was a significant deviation from the natural harmony of the world… Dr. Muneta was told, “Look to the mouse.” He’d taken this information back to the CDC. This piece of information was what led to CDC to consider the mouse as the source of the virus."

"The mystery disease was believed to be a hantavirus, contracted from the droppings or urine of infected deer mice. The deer mouse population had surged that fall, biologists said, in response to a huge windfall crop of pinon nuts."

"The rainfall had caused the pinon crop to be larger than usual. The pinon crop in turn, had fed the mice, whose droppings had spread the disease. The world had indeed fallen out of balance."
At this time there were ten times more deer mice than the year before.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an easy, quick read & a good reminder of the privilege it is to practice medicine, even when I’m frustrated.

[Chase Hiram · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Abby Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting account of providing and receiving medicine from both a navajo and modern/western perspective. i always love to read about physicians with a passion for real patient centered, narrative based care.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an assigned reading in my medical anthropology class, a subject in which I have a great deal of personal interest. Combine that with having lived in the American Southwest, particularly in New Mexico, and I found this book an interesting read. The author does an excellent job at weaving stories of the traditional medical practices of her Navajo culture in with her profession as a biomedical physician and demonstrates how important cultural context is in the framework of disease, illness, sickness and healing. She voices some important lessons for biomedicine in incorporating culture into practices; however, she falls short at fully convincing a skeptical reader to see her stories as anything more than anecdotal references to her own experiences. Granted, her intent in writing the book was not to provide an academically-based argument, but rather an opportunity to show the reader a glimpse into how a pluralistic approach to medicine can be beneficial to both traditional and "modern" medicinal practices, particularly when the cultural beliefs of the patient are considered as important to overall well-being as his biological health. For that reason alone, I found the book a very worthwhile read and what I believe should be mandatory for any student of medical anthropology, medicine or public health.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book! I started reading it because it was on a reading list published by my Career Tech Student Organization for a competition.

This is a very fast reading book about a young Navajo woman named Lori who becomes a surgeon. This was a pretty big deal because typically the medical field does not recognize the cultures, customs, and ceremonies of the Navajo. Add to that, Lori is female. She overcomes many obstacles, becoming accepted at Dartmouth, and then becoming a respected surgeon in her field.

Lori's goal was to mix modern medicine with Navajo medicine to reach the members of her tribe and surrounding areas. She manages to do this by becoming a patient herself (not by choice!) and aligning herself with other Navajo medical professionals. It's not until she feels she needs a medicine man that this need becomes ever more clear to her.

I found this book to be very inspiring. I hope I can take something from this book to add to my own nursing practice. I also feel that I have learned more of my heritage in terms of Native American practices. I am not Navajo but of Cherokee descent.

[Shomeret · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first encountered this book, I wondered how she overcame the Navajo prohibition against contact with the spirits of the dead referred to as chindi in so many Tony Hillerman novels. This barrier, and my curiosity about how traditional Navajo healing became part of her medical practice, were what drove my interest in reading this memoir.

I thought that Alvord's experiences were fascinating, and that she had a number of valuable insights to share with readers. I also felt that The Scalpel and the Silver Bear was moving--particularly in the section that dealt with her difficult pregnancy. I would recommend this memoir to anyone who is interested in Native Americans or in alternative approaches to medicine.

For my complete review see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated this book and admire Lori Alvord for the work that she continues to do. I believe that her wisdom .....the Native American ways....apply to all of us. We need to treat our body, mind, and spirit to be well.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*
I discovered this book after having watched "Medicine Woman" on PBS, the story of the first Native American female physician and her continuing impact on Native women physicians and health care administrators. The documentary was so enlightening that I sought out the memoir written by one of the contemporary physicians featured in the film. Lori Arviso Alvord, M.D. is that woman and this is her story.

Dr. Alvord is a fascinating character whose story seems in many ways miraculous. She was educated in a reservation school that was not up to the standards of white schools but despite that, her intellect and determination took her to Dartmouth and eventually to medical school at Stanford. She became one of the few women Navajo surgeons; it was a herculean accomplishment. Her achievement should be celebrated by women as well as those who strive for more equality within the health care system.

This book was written in 1999 so some of her commentary on the state of health care now feels more historical than pertinent to today (though there are other considerable challenges that have arisen). This book should be read as a discussion of a unique way of framing the mind-body-spirit connection that was a fashionable area to explore in the 90s but seems to have become less important to people in the secular 21st century. That does not diminish its value. In fact, her holistic perspective has value to environmentalists given the connection being discovered between planetary health and human health.

As a Native American, there were unique challenges to her becoming a physician, or even getting a basic education. And having a Native American father and a Caucasian mother brought it's own struggles as she tried to bridge two entirely different worlds. The author wasn't raised in traditional Navajo ways; she adopted much of that as she aged and began her practice in an Indian Health Service hospital on her reservation in New Mexico. Her discovery of certain Navajo healing practices that have since been validated in research was intriguing. Her effort to reduce the stress of her patients as they approached surgery and encountered a foreign culture (the medical system) was admirable and has been demonstrated to improve outcomes (stress is detrimental to human health in a variety of ways). There is now a term for teaching practitioners how to work with people who are not western European in heritage: cultural competency.

Her discussion of the importance of harmony (Walking in Beauty) was especially engaging and important. She links health/healing to the harmony of the world beyond the individual: animals, ecosystem, the land, human social relationships. Again, we are learning more and more about the importance of health as a set of interrelated factors far beyond humans. Using Navajo beliefs to explain this view was pretty terrific.

This memoir doesn't cover very much of her life and focuses more on her discovery of the value of her people's own indigenous practices to caring for people in a more integrated way when they are ill. Her philosophy uses the best of modern medicine along with the wisdom of traditional Native healers to achieve better outcomes in a more compassionate and enlightened way.

My one criticism is that she sometimes suspends critical thinking and embraces any healing practice she encounters as valid for its supposed healing effects. She doesn't distinguish between things that make people feel spiritually comfortable ("beliefs") but that have no evidence to support their reputation for healing, from those things that do in fact have an actual scientific basis for healing. This is especially evident when she searches for ways to manage her pre-eclampsia during her first pregnancy, visiting a medicine man for a prayer ceremony that requires a long trip alone across New Mexico and Arizona. Given her health at the time, this was risky, something she doesn't emphasize enough, and the ceremony had no impact on her condition, which required an urgent C-section. In other words, there were times when her judgment was clouded as she attempted to embrace and honor her culture.

Despite some reservations with the book (the writing is pretty pedestrian; she uses far too many medical terms that aren't explained; it's impossible to read some sections easily because there is no guide to pronouncing Navajo words - it would have been better to translate them with the Native word in parentheses), I recommend the book for people who are interested in Native American culture (as I am) and in Integrative Medicine concepts. Most Integrative Medicine is founded on incorporating either herbalism or Asian health care practices. I haven't seen anything that bridges Native American culture and Western medicine. This book successfully does that and the unique piece here is including the whole environment in the quest for health through harmony. Dr. Alvord has made an important contribution to the literature.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book knowing practically nothing about the Navajo community, their traditions, and their views on medicine and healing, but found that Alvord, who became the first Navajo female surgeon, covered all 3 topics well in 'The Scalpel and the Silver Bear'. Although she does discuss her childhood and upbringing, the focus of the book in on her medical career and how she used her 'western' (non-Navajo) education back to her community while also gaining the trust of her patients, many of whom abide by the rule that the body is sacred and should not be touched by others, much less have a stranger view the inside of it. She also provides anecdotes of some of the ways working in a hospital whose patient population is entirely Native American (primarily Navajo but anyone who identifies as Native may receive care as part of a deal with the U.S. government) is different than in a Western hospital, from unusual injuries, to the sad fact that alcohol plays a part in almost every adult patient's injury or illness, to the word 'cancer' being an unfathomable concept to the Navajo. At the same time as Alvord is trying to get her people to accept Western thinking when it comes to treatment, she realizes that their long-held beliefs and customs touch on ideas that have served them well for many generations and are never taught in medical schools. She sees with her own eyes that even when she's treating a patient by-the-book for something simple, if the concepts of traditional Native healing are ignored, the outcome turns unfavorable.
I truly loved learning about a different perspective on my favorite subject of medicine, and appreciate Alvord's effort to have her voice, which represents the oft-silenced voices of the entire Navajo nation, heard and used to influence the education of future generations of healers, whether Native American or not. In the Alternative Medicine course I took in college, we covered Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Osteopathic medicine, but not Native American, yet I recognized many similarities to what I had learned as I read this book. Because the Navajo do not touch their patients or ask probing questions that would be seen as rude, they focus on the spiritual and environmental influences that surround them to seek their answers, and look at the patient as a whole rather than just the specific body part that is troubling them, because it is likely that many factors have gone into causing the trouble.
Overall, an enlightening book, and I will have to see where the 20 years since publication have taken Alvord in her efforts to bring Navajo influence into Western medicine.

[Jeannine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good book about a Native American woman, Navajo, becoming a surgeon. I think the story is sentimental, enlightening and interesting. Any time a woman becomes the first at something, it is exciting to hear about. I was taught myself, by a Native American, Cherokee, woman who studied the way of the Shaman. So, learning Lori's story, made me think of my dear friend Lucie who is no longer with me. I also loved learned about Lori's progress and feeling happy for her. I am a holistic psychotherapist myself and really wish more doctor's would listen to Lori's advice on healing. It really doesn't matter whether you are native or not, we all deserve to be treated with respect and like a human. I can tell you story after story about doctor's who rolled their eyes when I mentioned holistic or my naturopath or talked about my body in a way that I understood but they could care less. It is sad that we have one of the worst insurance companies, I think #18 worldwide. So, I certainly resonated with everything she said and had to offer.

One craft error though is that this book needs to be edited. Unfortunately, there is a lot of repeating and this is tiresome for a reader. I don't usually put the book down for this but I do think for a doctor, I should expect more. There were times though that I skipped paragraphs and said out loud what I knew she was going to say. Secondly was breaking HIPAA laws. She said in one place that she was using pseudonyms for that particular story, but said this after telling another story where she did not say this. This is the first thing that should have been stated when identifying the name of a patient, especially giving explicit medical details. I was a bit shocked when I first read someone's name. After she did say this the second time, I was unclear whether this meant for the entire book or not. This definitely needs to be explained for professionals. Hope this can be re-published after they look this over, but this is an old book, so this is unlikely.

[Richard Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. I finished it quickly and enjoyed the short time I spent reading it. The author does a great job describing her upbringing as a Navajo, her experience with going to college in another state and the feeling of being alone and not fitting in. What I especially appreciated about this part was that she explained the cultural differences that separated her from her peers. She did not sacrifice her values and customs in order to "fit in", rather she found a group of fellow Native Americans to spend time with and bring back some of the rituals from their respective tribes.

Once she became a surgeon I found her efforts to bring western medicine to her tribe, while blending it with accepted cultural practices to be splendid. One can read between the lines and imagine what she brought to her tribe in particular and Native Americans in general.

There is a part in the book in which she talks about her experience as a patient and what it felt like to be the one lying on the bed with fellow healthcare around her making decisions and executing plans of care. This really resonated with me as I also read "In Shock" by Dr. Rana Awdish this summer, her experience was much akin to the things that Dr. Awdish spoke of.

Dr. Alvord is an incredible role model. She does not dwell on the difficulties that she faced in her surgical training but, it is widely known that surgery is one of the more difficult specialties to pursue, coupled with being a time when females were not widely accepted in MD/DO programs and you can imagine the troubles she faced. Moreover, she persevered and not only became a surgeon but she later accepted a prominent position at Dartmouth University. I will be sharing this book with my two nieces to read and enjoy.

[Jamie Cha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book 4.5 stars. I got this book at a free library. I forgot about the book. Recently, found it and truly enjoyed it.

The writing is really good. The chapters are fairly short. The book really holds your attention.

Even though the book is twenty years old, it is so relevant today. The changes that are needed in health care are still talked about today. We are finally starting to see that if we want our body to heal, we, also, need to heal our mind and spirit.

The book talks about the challenges about being both American and Navajo Indian. The challenges about being a doctor and still being a Navajo Indian.

The most fascinating thing about reading this book in 2020 was when she wrote about the hantavirus and the Spanish flu. Who would think reading an old book, about the first Navajo female surgeon, would talk about a pandemic, that effected the native American community? That they believed the virus came from an animal (rat).

The book is good on so many levels. I would definitely want to read more from tbe author.

[Shae Pond · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has changed my worldview. I loved how Dr. Alvord explained the importance of balance in life and Walking in Beauty (hozho). Finding that grace in our lives and in medicine is fundamental. I enjoyed her anecdotes about avoiding contention allowing better patient outcomes. That reminds me maybe I should be less grumpy with hiccups in the hospital sometimes.
The part of this book that impacted me the most was the stories of blessings and ceremonies performed for the healing of people and communities. It has made me reflect deeply on my own spiritual beliefs and the reality of their positive impact on health and balance in life. There is great value in community and spiritual connection that I sometimes lose sight of. Lots of food for thought :)
Overall, it was impressive and enlightening to learn about Dr. Alvord life and Diné culture. It will help me be a better nurse and person with a greater cultural understanding. But the biggest take-aways for me was the importance of hozho and the value in community and belief.

[Automm Lombardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a worthwhile read for any individual in the medical profession. Dr. Alvord reminds us how important it is to view patients within the context of each of their cultures, beliefs, and socioeconomic situations. The Scalpel and the Silver Bear particularly highlights the experience of what it is like to be a Native American (specifically Navajo) patient and a Native American physician; however, many of the messages can be adapted across cultures and borders. The importance of community and balance in the life of an individual and how it effects personal health is pinpointed and shown through powerful anecdotes. In some places, the book can be a bit redundant and makes some points that aren’t particularly novel, but it was written two decades ago and there is still plenty to take away from it today.

[Meeka Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a half Navajo and half biligáana, a member of the tribe, and a healthcare professional, this books resonates with me deeply. I have been raised in the white world with visits to Navajo Nation to see my grandparents every summer. The stories she learned from her grandma are ones I was told by my own grandparents, and I found myself smiling with tears in my eyes throughout this book. Dr. Alford wrote beautifully her becoming as a surgeon with her two backgrounds, Navajo and white, and the struggles she encountered spiritually. She shares many stories of the Navajo and her time at an Indian Health Service hospital. This book can teach many of us what it means to Walk in Beauty from a Navajo perspective, in harmony with ourself and our environment.

[Astartiée · Rating 3 out of 5]

J’étais assez sceptique face à ce document mis en main par ma sœur future doctoresse avec un « lis-le, il est trop bien ». Je ne jugerai pas l’écrit et le niveau de langue assez particulier de l’ouvrage ici, et qui m’ont donné beaucoup de difficultés au départ.
Une fois le premier chapitre terminé avec labeur, j’ai dévoré la chose.
L’auteure raconte ici son parcours, tiraillée entre la culture occidentale et sa médecine d’un côté et de l’autre son appartenance à la tribu des Navajos et la médecine traditionnelle qui en découle. Son expérience de vie démontre de la difficulté de trouver sa place entre les deux univers, tant du point de vue personnel que professionnel.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This month, I read The Scalpel and the Silver Bear: The First Navajo Woman Surgeon Combines Western Medicine and Traditional Healing by Lori Arviso Alvord, M.D. and Elizabeth Cohen Van Pelt. I really enjoyed it. It's an older book, originally published in 1999, but it is still extremely relevant today. The book is a personal narrative, but it also addresses more universal issues surrounding the culture of medical care in the United States. It is a easy read that manages to share a lot of serious information in a way that isn't overwhelming and yet it doesn't pull any punches. Racial disparity in medical care is a tragic problem. The author shows just how difficult it can be for for those affected by these disparities to get past them and receive the kind of quality care they need. At the same time, she models how greater inclusivity and cultural sensitivity can lead to fantastically better outcomes for patients and doctors alike. Not only is this book bound to raise the reader's awareness, it is an interesting and enjoyable autobiography.

[Cole Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is well written, and Dr. Alvord is a good story teller. I appreciate the insight into Navajo culture (and Native culture at large) and history. Alvord's description of the Navajo concept of Walking in Beauty, and how she applied it to her own practice as a surgeon, were very intriguing, and connected to many modern ideas of mind/body/spirit connectivity for health. However, the reason I gave this book 3/5 is because I disagree with some (most) of the arguments Dr. Alvord makes in this text, such as referring to alcohol as a "white man's tool of dominion," or blaming most (if not all of) the Navajo nation's problems on external factors.

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the book; liked the author/doctor and her theory. Must admit that I'm biased to the mind-body connection and respecting all sentient beings, which fits nicely with the Native American belief-system.
Don't know how much Alvord's writer, co-author gets credit, but the book is short, concise and, of course, the Doctor is very likeable. My only issue was that perhaps she was too likeable, hard to believe that someone comes across with so much inherent wisdom. But perhaps that says more about my inherent cynicism :)

[Sydney Ostermiller · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.484 rating. There were some pretty powerful lines in this book. But her editor needs to immediately get fired, throughout so much of the book it felt like the same thing was being said for five pages. The constant comparison of Navajo ways to Western medicine was really insightful - the "walking in beauty" practice/belief is really fascinating and I would have never heard about the benefits of this practice unless I read this book. The author of this book is a total bad ass.
I love women in STEM

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent and very well-written book. I think it is an especially good book for women physicians (as I am), young or old. Young women in college or medical school can appreciate her difficulties with calculus and some of the sciences. (Lori did much better the second time she took some of these undergraduate classes.) For older women physicians, the case examples are fascinating. This book gave me a much better understanding of indigenous peoples and their beliefs about medicine, totality, balance and harmony. I love the concept of "Walk in Beauty".

[Erin Jarabeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read! An autobiography of an amazing woman perservering and breaking glass ceilings, but also a commentary on modern medicine. I think this book should be read by more doctors, because her theories on whole medicine and tending to all parts of the patient, including their spirit, are on point. It was published quite a few years ago, and relatively early in her career. I'd very curious to see how she's continued to incorporate this into her practice, and would read another book of hers if she chose to write one.

[Andrea Elkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alvord provided a fascinating glimpse into the traditional Navajo culture, and describes how the impersonal, assembly-line practice of modern medicine negatively impact her patients' health. She details her own youth and medical training, her growth as a physician ad exposure to the medicine man, and the incorporation of mystical elements into holistic treatment for the whole mind and body. She'd be a fascinating dinner companion.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this read. We tend to forget people’s histories and how it impacts many generations later. The concept of this book is something to consider as we live our lives. Also we should embrace the fact that so many cultures share very similar approaches to life, health, and medicine. We all can benefit from these cultures in our daily lives. Thank you Dr. Alvord for a wonderful read as well as the journey you took to get where you are. You are an inspiration to all women, young and old.