First Nations lining up for traditional Chinese medical care

Traditional Chinese medicine has found a market among B.C.’s First Nations communities, many of which hold similar ideas about addressing medical issues with herbal and natural remedies.

The Buddhist non-profit foundation Tzu Chi Canada has been running once-a-month health clinics at the Sumas First Nation for about a year, and the demand has been so strong the organization recently doubled the frequency to twice monthly. In addition, Tzu Chi’s Downtown Eastside clinics continue to attract patients.

“We’ve had other First Nations communities say they are jealous that we have this here,” Sumas community health and wellness worker Janice Silver-Busby said of the clinics. “They want it in their community. We have members from other communities making appointments here, and they are welcome to come.”

Traditional Chinese medicine has been practised for thousands of years and has an ardent following throughout Asia and in immigrant communities. The practice typically involves acupuncture, acupressure and herbal remedies, and can differ greatly from western medical theories.

But those differences also make it attractive to First Nations communities, said Larry Ned, an elder with the Sumas band. Ned, who said he has had skin problems for decades, admitted he had low expectations when he tried acupuncture for the first time at a clinic last year.

“For about 20 years, my skin wouldn’t heal,” Ned said recently while awaiting an acupuncture session at Sumas’ health-care facility.

“I heard about this, and I was curious. After three treatments, my skin started drying up and healing.

“People in our community are shy, but once they’ve tried this, I think they will come back.”

He said he has been so satisfied with traditional care that he is eager to try tai chi, a Chinese martial art often practised for its health benefits.

Tzu Chi officials said response from B.C. First Nations has been so positive the group is now seeking to become a health-care provider certified by the B.C. First Nations Health Authority.

Its clinics — which are open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and often see 20 or more patients each day — are free, but Tzu Chi officials say they would like to move toward a fee-based model without shifting the financial burden to patients. Their solution is to reach out to the B.C. First Nations Health Authority for support.

“We need to let the authorities know that, based on experience in Sumas and our downtown clinics, there is a demand for this service within the First Nations community,” said Shaufen Lo, the executive secretary of Tzu Chi Canada’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Foundation.

“People want this. If we can partner (with the health authority), the patients can get this care without having to take a financial hit.”

Ned said more traditional Chinese medicine in First Nations communities should be explored as part of a more holistic care model.

“I’d rather be really healthy and be able to walk, to be able to put on my shoe or pick up something from the table, than to be wealthy and be lonely and sick,” he said. “You see some of our communities where young kids are committing suicide. Their mind, body and spirit is not in one.

“You tie Chinese medicine to spiritual well-being, and then you start getting a winning attitude. It’s a priority.”