37 pages • 1 hour read
Lori Arviso Alvord, Elizabeth Cohen Van PeltThe Scalpel and the Silver Bear: The First Navajo Woman Surgeon Combines Western Medicine and Traditional Healing
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1999A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 11-12Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 11 Summary: “‘Do Not Try to Count the Stars’”
One of Lori’s central arguments in the book is that we should live our lives with balance and harmony. Lori becomes pregnant, and towards the end of her pregnancy, she began experiencing pelvic pain and high blood pressure. Doctors diagnosed Lori with pregnancy-induced hypertension. Navajo nurses and doctors warned Lori that she could not allow negativity to enter her mind during pregnancy because it would go into the baby. Stress was also a concern because that could lead to premature birth. However, stress and negative situations were part of being a surgeon. While Lori was trying to deal with these health issues, a mother abandoned her newborn at the hospital, which left Lori upset and angry. Lori felt like she was out of sync with herself and the world around her. She was fearful how this could impact her pregnancy. Her doctor was already noting that they might have to induce Lori early if her blood pressure did not decrease. This situation was not how Lori envisioned the birthing experience since she wanted a traditional Navajo-style birth. Lori decided to visit a hataałii to see if they could correct her feelings of imbalance.
Chapter 12 Summary: “The Spirit Horse’s Bridle”
Lori tells the story of visiting Thomas Hataathlii, the medicine man, in this chapter. He lived in Tuba City, Arizona, which was a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Gallup. Lori, eight-months pregnant, made the journey alone, trying to follow her grandmother’s advice to not hit any bumps in the road. Since medical school, Lori dreamed of meeting a medicine man who could teach her traditional Navajo medicine. However, it is against Navajo convention to ask someone to teach you traditional medicine. Instead, medicine men choose students when the person is young.
Lori and Thomas initially began speaking in the Navajo style of communication, meaning they refrained from initially asking personal questions. All conversation begins by individuals revealing their relations and clan and discussing family friends to determine how their lives intersected. It turns out that Lori and Thomas were related by clan. Once these “informal formalities” (161-62) completed, Lori could discuss the reason for her visit. Thomas performed the Beauty Way ceremony for Lori. As Thomas was chanting, Lori felt the songs pass all around her, reaffirming her belief that there is power in song.
Chapters 11-12 Analysis
One of Lori’s main intentions in her text is to provide an argument that might sway more people to incorporate the notions of balance and harmony into western medicine. Telling her own story about her pregnancy complications helps to illustrate how disharmony can negatively impact a person’s health. Lori’s job as a surgeon is stressful. In addition, there were things beyond her control, like the mother leaving her newborn at the hospital, which were also taking a toll on her. These stressors made Lori feel out of sync with herself and the world around her and could have contributed to her abdominal pains and high blood pressure. She was also concerned about how these stressors were impacting her baby. By going to see Thomas, Lori was learning to take care of not only her body, but also her mind and spirit. She was embracing the Beauty Way in her personal life.
Throughout the story, Lori notes that she would like to learn from traditional Navajo healers. However, it is against Navajo norms to ask for instruction from these healers. Lori never actually expected to have to visit a medicine man as a patient. Yet, she knew that going to one would be good for both her and her baby. Through this experience, Lori understood firsthand the power song has. After the ceremony, she “felt calm, peaceful, and happy” (169), despite the long car ride she had ahead of her. She knew that everything would be all right for her and her family.
