Table Talk: Indigenous Paradigms of Grief
Table Talk, a series created by and for people of color, LGBTQ2S+ folks, and other underrepresented communities, is an honest, lively, and unscripted conversation among health professionals, spiritual and faith-based leaders, artists, and other creative individuals to address this central question: What does it mean to live and die well in our respective communities?
In this Table Talk, Jeff Lujan, LCSW (Atsihem /Manso) and Atekpatzin Young (Genízaro Apache) provide their responses to these additional questions:
What are we grieving?
How do we grieve?
From a spiritual perspective, how does our community support those experiencing grief or trauma?
What other actions can we take to support ourselves and our loved ones?
Live Spanish-language interpretation and/or live transcription is available upon request by contacting andy@letsreimagine.org by November 16, 2021.
Speakers
Jeff Lujan, BEd, MSW, LCSW (Atsihem /Manso) is a licensed clinical social worker and educator with a broad range of service. His experience includes hospice, trauma-informed care, medical case management, substance abuse counseling, infectious disease outreach and prevention, program development, implementation, and management, and educating youth and adults. He was formerly a certified teacher in Hawaii and has extensive experience in public speaking, professional presentations and working in multicultural settings including Hispanic, sexual minority, Asian, Pacific Islander and Native American communities.
Jeff has developed and delivered professional development training related to trauma-informed care for elementary, intermediate, and high school settings including unique subgroups such as special needs, at-risk, and tribal student populations. He has provided counseling services for elementary, middle and high-school students in public schools as well as clinical settings. He has worked across many cultural settings to address the social/emotional needs of students, families, and those who work in settings that serve youth. He is also a hospice social worker who provides end-of-life resources for individuals and their families.
Jeff is currently working with the Manaaji’idiwin pilot project sponsored by the Province of Manitoba as an alternative approach to meeting education/training needs for residential youth care.
Atekpatzin Young (Genízaro Apache) is a consultant, writer, artist, and musician. He has worked in radio, television and theatre. As a consultant, Mr. Young has provided program design, evaluation and training locally and nationally for 35 years. He has worked as a health educator, prevention specialist, psychotherapist, mediator and traditional healer serving diverse populations. Mr. Young has had the distinguished honor of presenting workshops and trainings at local, national and international conferences. He has worked as a consultant to the Office of Minority Health, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Disease Control, National American Red Cross, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and Denver Public Health. He is the founder of the National Two Spirit Society with chapters across the U.S. and Canada. He is the founder of Only One, Inc. a not-for-profit dedicated to addressing health disparity issues in Indigenous communities. He is also the founder of the Calmecaztlán, a school specializing in Indigenous traditional medicine. Mr. Young has taught courses at Naropa University and been a guest lecturer at the University of Colorado, University of Washington, Metro State College, Colorado State University and Denver University. Mr. Young is the recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship award, a three-time recipient of the White Rose Scholarship Award and the Alexander Foundation Award. He also received the Cesar Chavez Peace and Justice Leadership Award and the Cesar Chavez Leadership Award for his contributions to the community.
About Table Talk
We recognize that marginalized communities and cultures -- Black, Indigenous, Latino/a/x, Asian American, Disabled, LGBTQ+, etc. -- have their own unique perspectives and shared truths. All of these groups face tremendous challenges in dealing with serious illness, dying, grief, discrimination. And there is a shared need for platforms to talk about these issues freely in order to connect, learn, heal, remember, and take action.
While individual Table Talks are developed by and for specific communities, we recognize that often these groupings are permeable. Many of us describe more than one group as “home,” and many of us have experienced oppression based on multiple aspects of our intersecting identities: race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and more.
Table Talk topics include:
Grief
Values, Wishes & Plans
Palliative & Comfort Care
Hospice Care
Ceremonies & Rituals
Living Fully
Reimagine invites people of all backgrounds to join us to witness, listen and learn at Table Talk. Ultimately we are creating space rooted in the principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in order for everyone to thrive.
Table Talk is made possible with support from the Fetzer Institute and the John and Wauna Harman Foundation.
