Join us for unique discussions during a new Elders Talking Circle on Sept.17-18, 2022. Ask an Indian any question.

Topics of possible interest: 

• Pottery
• Flint Napping
• Indigenous Foods
• Native. American. Literature.
• Treaties vs. Reserved Rights
• Sovereignty
• Self-Determination
• Inherent Rights 
• Blood Quantum
• Sacred Herbs
• Living History
• MMIWC
• The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 
• Diversity and Inclusion

Children and adults join us for unique discussions during a new Elders Talking Circle on Sept.17-18, 2022. Ask an Indian any question.

Past topics children ask: 

• Do Indians wear hats? 
• What do you eat? 
• Did we kill you all? 
• ​Where do you live? 
• Why do you wear feathers in your hair? 

Special Guest Andrew Morizio, expert of Ayurveda Healing joins us at the Indian Village. Reducing suffering is one of our goals for this educational experience.

​Ayurveda, a natural system of medicine, originated in India more than 3,000 years ago. The term Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge). Thus, Ayurveda translates to knowledge of life. Based on the idea that disease is due to an imbalance or stress in a person's consciousness, Ayurveda encourages certain lifestyle interventions and natural therapies to regain a balance between the body, mind, spirit, and the environment.

Ayurveda treatment starts with an internal purification process, followed by a special diet, herbal remedies, massage therapy, yoga, and meditation.

The concepts of universal interconnectedness, the body's constitution (prakriti), and life forces (doshas) are the primary basis of ayurvedic medicine. Goals of treatment aid the person by eliminating impurities, reducing symptoms, increasing resistance to disease, reducing worry, and increasing harmony in life. Herbs and other plants, including oils and common spices, are used extensively in Ayurvedic treatment. 

In India, Ayurveda is considered a form of medical care, equal to conventional Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, naturopathic medicine, and homeopathic medicine. Practitioners of Ayurveda in India undergo state-recognized, institutionalized training. Currently, Ayurvedic practitioners are not licensed in the United States, and there is no national standard for Ayurvedic training or certification. However, Ayurvedic schools have gained approval as educational institutions in some states.  

Ayurveda can have positive effects when used as a complementary therapy in combination with standard, conventional medical care. 

Source: John Hopkins Medicine

For the Native Americans of the Chesapeake region—past, present, and future. We honor your strength and endurance. Thank you for welcoming us to your Native place. Education Office of the National Museum of the American Indian 

Acknowledgments
Coauthors, Researchers: Gabrielle Tayac, Ph.D. (Piscataway), Edwin Schupman (Muscogee)
Contributing Writer: Genevieve Simermeyer (Osage)
Editor: Mark Hirsch
Reviewers: Leslie Logan (Seneca), Clare Cuddy, Kakwireiosta Hall (Cherokee/Mohawk), Benjamin Norman (Pamunkey)
Additional Research: Danielle Moretti-Langholtz, Ph.D., Buck Woodard (Lower Muscogee Creek), Angela Daniel, Andy Boyd
Design: Groff Creative Inc.
Special Thanks: Helen Scheirbeck, Ph.D. (Lumbee); Sequoyah Simermeyer (Coharie), National Congress of American Indians; NMAI Photo Services
​
All illustrations and text © 2006 NMAI, Smithsonian Institution, unless otherwise noted.