Nakani Native Program

The Nakani Native Program (NNP) aims to provide a culturally relevant educational programming that is grounded in Indigenous knowledge and brings traditional and western medicine together to transform the current way that tribal people access and experience healthcare, improve health outcomes, address health disparities, and incorporate traditional knowledge into the healthcare system to make that system responsive to Native culture.

Through their Traditional Medicine Program (TMP) their Tribal Innovation project offered 1.) tribal community events that focus on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), traditional foods and medicines, traditional natural resources, etc., 2.) Traditional Indian Medicine (TIM) clerkships for medical students, 3.) an “Introduction to Traditional Medicine” internship program, and 4.) volunteer educational opportunities.

Nakani Native Program partnered with the University of Washington School of Medicine Indian Health Pathway (IHP) program and Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB) to partner with the IHP program to support their need for non-clinical Traditional Indian Medicine clerkship instruction and traditional medicine volunteer hours for their medical students.