{"id":13882,"date":"2021-07-12T17:35:41","date_gmt":"2021-07-12T21:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=13882"},"modified":"2021-07-12T17:35:41","modified_gmt":"2021-07-12T21:35:41","slug":"cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/12\/cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Cronkite News: COVID-19 brings traditional practices online"},"content":{"rendered":" <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/12\/cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online\/nativeamericanconnections-2\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-13888\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"13888\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/12\/cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online\/nativeamericanconnections-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/NativeAmericanConnections-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-title=\"Native American Connections\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Eagle feathers and dried sage in a seashell are among the sacred items that Andrea Klimas, clinical director at Native American Connections, brings to facilitate talking circles. Incorporating Indigenous practices like talking circles into health care treatment isn\u2019t new but has grown in significance during the pandemic, largely because of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Native communities. (Photo by Gianluca D\u2019Elia\/Cronkite News)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/NativeAmericanConnections-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/NativeAmericanConnections-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Native American Connections\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13888\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\"> Eagle feathers and dried sage in a seashell are among the sacred items that Andrea Klimas, clinical director at Native American Connections, brings to facilitate talking circles. Incorporating Indigenous practices like talking circles into health care treatment isn\u2019t new but has grown in significance during the pandemic, largely because of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Native communities. (Photo by Gianluca D\u2019Elia\/Cronkite News)<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Shipping sage and praying on Zoom: How an Indigenous healing practice survived the pandemic<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Monday, July 12, 2021<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By Gianluca D\u2019Elia <\/div>\r\n<DIV class=source>Cronkite News<\/DIV>\r\n<DIV class=source-website><A \r\nhref=\"https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/\">cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A><\/DIV>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nPHOENIX \u2013 Angela Burks remembers hearing about <a href=\/covid19\/>COVID-19<\/a> reaching the U.S. right before Ash Wednesday last year.<p><\/p>\r\nFor the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, the Easter holidays normally are filled with traditional ceremonies, and Burks, a tribal member, feared they would be canceled. She also was seeking support as she coped with her husband\u2019s failing health because of struggles with alcohol.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cIt was hard knowing our community wasn\u2019t doing what it needed to feel spiritually well,\u201d said Burks, 31, a graduate student in social work at Arizona State University. \u201cAnd on top of that, I wasn\u2019t well.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nAnd so when ASU and the Phoenix nonprofit clinic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nativehealthphoenix.org\/\">Native Health<\/a> started a virtual talking circle series last June, Burks quickly became one of its regulars, finding solace in a space where she could be vulnerable with other Indigenous students in a culturally appropriate way.<p><\/p>\r\nAlmost every week for the past year, the group of about 10 students, most of them Indigenous, have gathered on Zoom to participate in a traditional healing practice adapted for the digital age and for a pandemic that pushed most personal interactions online.<p><\/p>\r\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1074452311&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/cronkitenews\" title=\"CRONKITENEWS\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">CRONKITENEWS<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/cronkitenews\/indigenous-groups-maintain-talking-circle-traditions-during-covid-19\" title=\"Indigenous groups maintain talking circle traditions during COVID-19\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Indigenous groups maintain talking circle traditions during COVID-19<\/a><\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Cronkite News Audio by Gianluca D\u2019Elia: <a href=https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/cronkitenews\/indigenous-groups-maintain-talking-circle-traditions-during-covid-19>Indigenous groups maintain talking circle traditions during COVID-19<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nFor centuries, Native Americans have used <a href=\"https:\/\/attcnetwork.org\/centers\/national-american-indian-and-alaska-native-attc\/traditional-talking-circle-or-healing\">talking circles<\/a> to solve problems and provide healing. Every circle is a little different, depending on the practices of a particular tribe.<p><\/p>\r\nGenerally, a circle includes opening and closing blessings, the burning of cedar sage as a cleansing ritual, songs, storytelling and an opportunity for each participant to speak. They share going clockwise around the circle, passing a sacred item, such as a talking stick or an eagle feather, meant to serve as a direct connection to a higher power.<p><\/p>\r\nIt\u2019s all about helping an individual \u201ccreate a balance within their mind, body and spirit, and with their surroundings,\u201d said Roy Johnston, a Choctaw traditional specialist who has worked with Native Health for more than 15 years. \u201cIn that balance, their body is allowed and their mind is allowed to begin its work to heal.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nIncorporating Indigenous practices like talking circles into health care treatment isn\u2019t new but has grown in significance during the pandemic, largely because of the disproportionate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covid-data\/investigations-discovery\/hospitalization-death-by-race-ethnicity.html#footnote01\">impact<\/a> of COVID-19 on Native communities.<p><\/p>\r\nNative Americans are more than 1.5 times as likely to get COVID-19 than whites, and they die at more than twice the rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/12\/cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online\/nativeamericanconnections\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-13884\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1728\" data-attachment-id=\"13884\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/12\/cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online\/nativeamericanconnections\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/NativeAmericanConnections-scaled.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1728\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-title=\"Native American Connections\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Andrea Klimas, the clinical director and a talking circle facilitator at Native American Connections, burns sage in a shell as part of a spiritual ceremony representing the four elements: earth, air, wind and fire. (Photo by Gianluca D\u2019Elia\/Cronkite News)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/NativeAmericanConnections-1024x691.jpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/NativeAmericanConnections-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Native American Connections\"  class=\"size-full wp-image-13884\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\"> Andrea Klimas, the clinical director and a talking circle facilitator at Native American Connections, burns sage in a shell as part of a spiritual ceremony representing the four elements: earth, air, wind and fire. (Photo by Gianluca D\u2019Elia\/Cronkite News)<\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe Navajo Nation \u2013 whose reservation is the largest in the U.S., stretching across parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah \u2013 was hit especially hard. More than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov\/COVID-19\/Data\">1,300<\/a> of the reservation\u2019s 170,000 residents have died of COVID-19.<p><\/p>\r\nThroughout the Southwest, organizations that serve Indigenous communities have worked to keep talking circles alive through the pandemic.<p><\/p>\r\nAndrea Klimas is the clinical director and a talking circle facilitator at Phoenix\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nativeconnections.org\/\">Native American Connections<\/a>, which provides health care and community development services.<p><\/p>\r\nKlimas\u2019 talking circles offer support to clients who seek residential or outpatient treatment for substance abuse or behavioral health concerns. The organization\u2019s Patina Wellness Center has a room dedicated to talking circles, with cushioned chairs placed around a circular skylight that shines onto a wooden floor, used as an altar during the practice. Weekly circles continued over the past year, with social distancing and mask requirements in place.<p><\/p>\r\nEven with modifications made for COVID-19, Klimas still leads her circles the way she usually does. She sets up an altar with items representing earth, fire, wind and water, and she always starts with a smudging \u2013 the burning of dried herbs, which she said provides a \u201ccalming perspective.\u201d She also brings an eagle feather that each participant holds while sharing; it serves as a \u201ctelephone line\u201d to whatever higher power the speaker seeks to communicate with.<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/12\/cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online\/andreaklimas\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-13885\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1448\" data-attachment-id=\"13885\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/12\/cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online\/andreaklimas\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/andreaklimas-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1448\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-title=\"Andrea Klimas\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Andrea Klimas, the clinical director at Native American Connections, facilitates weekly talking circles at the Patina Wellness Center in Phoenix. (Photo by Gianluca D\u2019Elia\/Cronkite News)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/andreaklimas-1024x579.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/andreaklimas-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Andrea Klimas\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-13885\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Andrea Klimas, the clinical director at Native American Connections, facilitates weekly talking circles at the Patina Wellness Center in Phoenix. (Photo by Gianluca D\u2019Elia\/Cronkite News)<\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nKlimas starts and ends her circles with affirmations.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cI\u2019m strong, I\u2019m teachable, I\u2019m lovable, I\u2019m worthy,\u201d she often tells women. And for groups of mostly men, she might offer: \u201cI\u2019m humble, I can be that protector, I can walk away from a challenge that can lead me to further troubles.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nIn Denver, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless introduced a series of outdoor talking circles at a park last year. Before the pandemic, Teresa Bernie, an Ihanktonwan Nakota talking circle facilitator, held sessions three days a week for up to 25 people. Going virtual wasn\u2019t a viable option for the population she works with, Bernie said.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cPeople loved that we could still gather,\u201d she said. \u201cBecause we\u2019re urban, we gather to stay connected to our culture, and that means gathering to share food and prayer and just to visit and keep close connections with one another.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nJohnston, of Native Health, has helped facilitate the virtual talking circle with ASU students. The process is much the same online: The circle starts with a greeting and the purification ritual of smudging with cedar sage, and includes prayers, songs, storytelling and individual sharing.<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/12\/cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online\/royjohnston\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-13887\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1726\" data-attachment-id=\"13887\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/12\/cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online\/royjohnston\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/royjohnston-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1726\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-title=\"Roy Johnston\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Roy Johnston, who facilitates talking circles as part of Native Health in Mesa, plays a drum as he sings a Tohono O\u2019odham blessing. Although he\u2019s a member of the Choctaw Nation, he uses Tohono O\u2019odham songs in talking circles to acknowledge the people whose land he lives and works on. (Photo by Gianluca D\u2019Elia\/Cronkite News)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/royjohnston-1024x690.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/royjohnston-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Roy Johnston\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-13887\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Roy Johnston, who facilitates talking circles as part of Native Health in Mesa, plays a drum as he sings a Tohono O\u2019odham blessing. Although he\u2019s a member of the Choctaw Nation, he uses Tohono O\u2019odham songs in talking circles to acknowledge the people whose land he lives and works on. (Photo by Gianluca D\u2019Elia\/Cronkite News)<\/figcaption>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nNative Health has been mailing sage bundles to circle participants who request them. And in place of a traditional water blessing at the end, the Zoom participants each drink a glass of water.<p><\/p>\r\nCatalina Alvarez Flores, 24, a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, joined after losing her aunt to COVID-19, along with some elders she had known since she was young.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cI didn\u2019t really know how to cope because of so much going on in the world,\u201d said Flores, who studies anthropology and family and human development. \u201cYou\u2019re constantly seeing things in the media \u2013 how many deaths per day, a lot of negativity.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cI wanted to find a place that had kind of an Indigenous perspective to talk about these issues, especially with a lot of Indigenous communities being affected by the pandemic in higher numbers.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nJohnston initially was skeptical about leading circles virtually. \u201cI just don\u2019t do things like that,\u201d he recalled saying when he first was approached. But the work has made for meaningful experiences and conversations.<p><\/p>\r\nWhen the time for individual sharing comes, Johnston said, frequent topics include loss, isolation, sadness, students being separated from or locked down on reservations or contracting COVID-19 themselves.<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><p><\/p>\r\nBeyond concerns about the pandemic, the circle offers a chance to talk about issues that are likely best understood by other Indigenous people, said Tony Velarde, 24, of Chandler, a member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation who\u2019s studying political science.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cI could just keep coming back and be like, \u2018Guys, this is the thing and this sucks and I just want to share it with you,\u2019\u201d Velarde said. \u201cEspecially if the issue was particularly because you were Native, there weren\u2019t a lot of other places you could share that information, where people would understand it to that degree.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nLaura Gonzales-Macias, interim director of ASU\u2019s American Indian Student Support Services, described the talking circle as a \u201cgathering of a safe space, a place that recognizes there have been some devastating impacts in tribal communities.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWe were hearing from students, particularly those in the urban area that are from reservations, that their homes were on lockdown due to COVID,\u201d Gonzales-Macias said. \u201cThey couldn\u2019t get home to do a ceremony or a gathering. This was an avenue for them to do that while staying here.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/12\/cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online\/royjohnstondrum\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-13886\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" data-attachment-id=\"13886\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/12\/cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online\/royjohnstondrum\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/royjohnstondrum-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-title=\"Native American Connections\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Roy Johnston, a traditional specialist at Native Health in Mesa and a member of the Choctaw Nation, plays a drum and sings when he hosts talking circles. (Photo by Gianluca D\u2019Elia\/Cronkite News)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/royjohnstondrum-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/royjohnstondrum-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Native American Connections\"  class=\"size-full wp-image-13886\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Roy Johnston, a traditional specialist at Native Health in Mesa and a member of the Choctaw Nation, plays a drum and sings when he hosts talking circles. (Photo by Gianluca D\u2019Elia\/Cronkite News)<\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4022550\/#__sec7title\">Studies<\/a> have shown that incorporating talking circles into primary care can help improve symptoms as well as quality of life.<p><\/p>\r\nKayla-Rae Wakeland, Native Health\u2019s substance abuse and suicide prevention case manager, has seen firsthand the mental health benefits of these gatherings. She participates in the ASU circles, alongside Johnston. For some of the students, she said, it\u2019s their first time interacting with a mental health provider.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cTo be able to have that guidance and having their peers say it\u2019s OK, and knowing that they do need more help, it really helped them push themselves to start receiving behavioral health services,\u201d Wakeland said.<p><\/p>\r\nASU\u2019s virtual talking circles are continuing this summer. Gonzales-Macias said she hopes to eventually introduce an in-person circle.<p><\/p>\r\n <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/12\/cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online\/patinawellnesscenter\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-13894\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" data-attachment-id=\"13894\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/12\/cronkite-news-covid-19-brings-traditional-practices-online\/patinawellnesscenter\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/patinawellnesscenter.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1200,800\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-title=\"Patina Wellness Center\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The Patina Wellness Center in Phoenix has a room dedicated to talking circles, a spiritual ceremony that Indigenous health providers often utilize to help patients seeking help for behavioral health or substance abuse issues. (Photo by Gianluca D\u2019Elia\/Cronkite News)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/patinawellnesscenter-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/patinawellnesscenter.jpg\" alt=\"Patina Wellness Center\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-13894\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\"> The Patina Wellness Center in Phoenix has a room dedicated to talking circles, a spiritual ceremony that Indigenous health providers often utilize to help patients seeking help for behavioral health or substance abuse issues. (Photo by Gianluca D\u2019Elia\/Cronkite News)<\/figcaption>\r\n<P><\/p>\r\nFor Klimas and other facilitators, it\u2019s heartening to see talking circles used in new ways. There was a time, she recalled, when her Oglala Lakota ancestors practiced such traditions only in hiding, because of religious persecution.<p><\/p>\r\nShe considers their growing popularity an answer to her grandparents\u2019 prayers that Indigenous traditions would one day be a source of pride, not shame.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cThey may not have been held the way they were held 200 years ago,\u201d Klimas said. \u201cBut because of their resilience, these are ways that have not been forgotten about.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n<STRONG>For more stories from Cronkite News, visit <A href=\"https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/?utm_source=referral&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=client\">cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A>.<\/STRONG>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<HR><EM>Note: This story originally <a href=\"https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/2021\/06\/25\/shipping-sage-and-praying-on-zoom-how-an-indigenous-healing-practice-survived-the-pandemic\/\">appeared on Cronkite News<\/a>.  It  is published via a <A href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative  Commons license<\/A>. Cronkite News is produced by the <A href=\"https:\/\/cronkite.asu.edu\/\">Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication<\/A> at <A href=\"https:\/\/www.asu.edu\">Arizona State University<\/A>.<\/EM><HR>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Incorporating Indigenous practices like talking circles into health care treatment isn\u2019t new but has grown in significance during COVID-19.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13888,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11,19,1,22],"tags":[1769,1775,42,1774,373,5,46,180,1772,1773,1771,24,610,47,1770,6,102],"class_list":["post-13882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-health","category-national","category-technology","tag-andrea-klimas","tag-angela-burks","tag-arizona","tag-catalina-alvarez-flores","tag-cdc","tag-coronavirus","tag-cronkite-news","tag-internet","tag-kayla-rae-wakeland","tag-laura-gonzales-macias","tag-native-health","tag-navajo","tag-pascua-yaqui","tag-race","tag-roy-johnston","tag-urban-indians","tag-youth","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-3BU","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/12\/NativeAmericanConnections-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13882"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13882\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}