Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
How can Indigenous knowledge, traditional healing practices and Western medicine work together to support people facing cancer?
Dr. Brian McInnes shares an Indigenous perspective on disease, wellness and community life, drawing from Anishinaabe teachings, Medicine Lodge traditions and his experiences working alongside Indigenous healers. He discusses the importance of balance across physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and explores how cultural traditions can complement contemporary cancer care.
The conversation also examines traditional understandings of illness, the sacred role of medicines such as tobacco, the importance of hope during cancer treatment, and ways health care professionals can build more respectful relationships with Indigenous patients and communities.
Three key takeaways:
• Whole-person wellness requires balance. Indigenous approaches to health recognize physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being as interconnected parts of a healthy life.
• Traditional and Western medicine can work together. Indigenous healing practices do not necessarily replace medical treatment; they can provide cultural, spiritual and community support alongside contemporary cancer care.
• Respectful relationships begin with community. Health care professionals interested in Indigenous healing traditions should build relationships with local tribal communities and trusted Indigenous health professionals rather than relying on decontextualized information found online.
The presentation concludes with a Q&A covering traditional holistic practices, working within health care scope-of-practice requirements, connecting patients with knowledgeable Indigenous practitioners, and understanding the difference between ceremonial and commercial tobacco use.
Chapters
0:00 Welcome and Introduction
1:08 Meet Dr. Brian McInnes
5:01 Diversity Across Indigenous Healing Traditions
7:43 Traditional Perspectives on Disease and Wellness
9:59 Tribal Homelands and Indigenous Connections
12:12 Two Traditions of Learning and Healing
15:45 Mino-Bimaadiziwin and Living a Good Life
16:40 Medicine Wheel and Whole-Person Balance
18:03 A Healer’s Lesson About Personal Balance
20:03 Foundations of Indigenous Health and Wellness
22:10 Understanding Cancer Through Indigenous Perspectives
25:15 Indigenous Language and Concepts of Cancer
28:19 Medicine, Healing and Sacred Tobacco
32:41 Medicine Lodge Traditions and Cancer Care
34:45 Combining Traditional and Western Medicine
38:44 Spirituality as Part of Whole-Person Care
40:07 Presentation Reflections and Q&A
41:54 Traditional Holistic Practices During Treatment
46:28 Navigating Indigenous Medicine in Health Care
48:14 Finding Trusted Indigenous Health Resources
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How can Indigenous knowledge, traditional healing practices and Western medicine work together to support people facing cancer?
Dr. Brian McInnes shares an Indigenous perspective on disease, wellness and community life, drawing from Anishinaabe teachings, Medicine Lodge traditions and his experiences working alongside Indigenous healers. He discusses the importance of balance across physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and explores how cultural traditions can complement contemporary cancer care.
The conversation also examines traditional understandings of illness, the sacred role of medicines such as tobacco, the importance of hope during cancer treatment, and ways health care professionals can build more respectful relationships with Indigenous patients and communities.
Three key takeaways:
• Whole-person wellness requires balance. Indigenous approaches to health recognize physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being as interconnected parts of a healthy life.
• Traditional and Western medicine can work together. Indigenous healing practices do not necessarily replace medical treatment; they can provide cultural, spiritual and community support alongside contemporary cancer care.
• Respectful relationships begin with community. Health care professionals interested in Indigenous healing traditions should build relationships with local tribal communities and trusted Indigenous health professionals rather than relying on decontextualized information found online.
The presentation concludes with a Q&A covering traditional holistic practices, working within health care scope-of-practice requirements, connecting patients with knowledgeable Indigenous practitioners, and understanding the difference between ceremonial and commercial tobacco use.
Chapters
0:00 Welcome and Introduction
1:08 Meet Dr. Brian McInnes
5:01 Diversity Across Indigenous Healing Traditions
7:43 Traditional Perspectives on Disease and Wellness
9:59 Tribal Homelands and Indigenous Connections
12:12 Two Traditions of Learning and Healing
15:45 Mino-Bimaadiziwin and Living a Good Life
16:40 Medicine Wheel and Whole-Person Balance
18:03 A Healer’s Lesson About Personal Balance
20:03 Foundations of Indigenous Health and Wellness
22:10 Understanding Cancer Through Indigenous Perspectives
25:15 Indigenous Language and Concepts of Cancer
28:19 Medicine, Healing and Sacred Tobacco
32:41 Medicine Lodge Traditions and Cancer Care
34:45 Combining Traditional and Western Medicine
38:44 Spirituality as Part of Whole-Person Care
40:07 Presentation Reflections and Q&A
41:54 Traditional Holistic Practices During Treatment
46:28 Navigating Indigenous Medicine in Health Care
48:14 Finding Trusted Indigenous Health Resources
From Mayo Clinic to your inbox (free):
mayocl.in/3e71zfi
Visit Mayo Clinic:
mayocl.in/2COVmlm
Connect with Mayo Clinic:
Facebook: facebook.com/mayoclinic
Instagram: instagram.com/mayoclinic
X: https://x.com/MayoClinic
Threads: threads.net/@mayoclinic
