Samples of Indigenous Healing: The path of good medicine

Abstract

In this article, I review five articles selected for this Special Issue of the International Journal of Disability, Development and Education on indigenous healing. I have considered the various traditions of indigenous healing, and I situate my analysis within the context of disability, development, and education. Such an analysis reflects the conundrum involving professional identity politics and the elusiveness of intentionality. In response to the five articles, I offer commentary on the social constructions of health, illness, healing, and disability, as these constructs vary across cultures. I suggest that the ability of professionals to inspire trust among clients is potentially a practitioner marker of efficacy across medical paradigms, and is a dynamic that is often misunderstood. I illuminate the healing process as a dynamic of reciprocity and engagement. Finally, I discuss and emphasise the need for developing collaborative programming and integrative service delivery models.