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Smudging – a ceremony that uses traditional medicines to help cleanse the mind, body and spirit – is a traditional Indigenous practice offered as part of OSH's Native Services department. Patients say they find solace in the opportunity to observe traditions that focus on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being and one's connection to the Earth and their place in it.

“We can lose our former selves in here (OSH), and it can feel hard to be connected to other people," said Matthew, who said his appreciation for Indigenous cultures stems from his learning of his family's connections to the Cherokee Nation and his friendships with members of the Navajo Nation. His grandmother taught him about medicinal plants, and he's comforted by his memories of her burning them in an abalone shell.

“It's been a part of my identity for so long and to not lose that and grow it and share with other people is really important to me," Matthew said. “One of the highlights of my week is going to smudge and talking to Elders in Native Services."

Anyone is welcome to join the smudge circle and to participate in other services offered by the department – patient, staff member, those who are affiliated with a Tribe and those who are not, said Kqalsan Mayuk, OSH Native Services program coordinator.

“It's a spiritual program – it has to be open to everybody – or else why do it," said Mayuk, who is a member of the Ktunaxa Nation, located in eastern British Columbia, Canada. “Almost everything we do is considered cultural and spiritual – artwork, beading, arts and crafts, smudges. Even when they're beading you can watch how patients focus and change while they're creating. The calmness that they come away with and the pride they take in making something for themselves or family, friends. It is spiritual."

Outdoor smudges use traditional medicinal plants, while for safety reasons, sprays are used for smudges offered within the hospital. Different plants are used depending upon the staff member leading the smudge, though generally, the smudge includes cedar (for protection), lavender (for calming), sage (for cleansing and purification) and sweetgrass (to remember one's connection to Mother Earth).

For ChriStina Titus, the opportunity to smudge helps her stay grounded and focused on her recovery journey. 

“Smudging helps me cleanse and helps me feel connected to my Father (Creator God) and Mother (Earth). It's a whole cycle of connection and healing," Titus said.  “I'm just grateful because through Native Services I'm learning a lot more about how to deal with life as it is because it can be tough here at OSH, and I'm a recovering alcoholic and never really dealt with things emotionally-wise."

Titus has explored her Tribal connections during her time at OSH.

“My grandmother was Salish," she said. “I'm seeking wisdom and learning so much spiritually that I don't think I would have if I wasn't here – being balanced spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally.  I'm grateful today for what I do have."

(Pictured above, Mike Patton prepares traditional medicines for a recent smudge ceremony.)

The majority of OSH patients – 72% – identify as white, while 2.3% identify as American Indian or Alaska Native.

Native Services staff say they think patients who are not affiliated with a Tribe seek out their support for a variety of reasons – interest in the culture, to explore spirituality and because they're seeking other avenues of peace and healing.

“For some patients, if that's the way they were raised, this is an opportunity to get back into that part of their lives. For others, it's a new way to deal with their issues and find a new spirituality to support themselves," said Brent York, who joined the OSH Native Services team in the past year. York is a member of the Colville Tribe and was raised in eastern Oregon on the Burns Paiute reservation and says his knowledge is also rooted in Paiute and Shoshone Tribal traditions because of familial connections. 

“Growing up in a small community, it's been validating to be able to teach and pass on the things that I know," York said.

When Cazmine Bonnot started with the Native Services team, she said she was encouraged to see the respect patients, who were not Indigenous, held for spiritual and cultural traditions – like those she shares from her Hunkpapa Lakota and Muscogee (Creek) Nation traditions.

She plans to offer an advanced beading class to patients later in the fall that teaches decorative beadwork to create medallions and other art. She and York both said at times, it's unbelievable that their job is to share their traditions with others.

“But this is not just a job," Bonnot said. “I get so much in return – to see how people are healing themselves is encouraging to me in my own journey. This work will humble you." 

Two of the five members of Native Services – Gerald Weller and Mike Patton – while not affiliated with a Tribe – first began working with the Native Services team when they were in different roles at OSH because of their personal practice and community involvement. After their retirement, Weller returned to a full-time role and Patton to a part-time role with the Native Services team.

“In my prior work with patients, I saw that something was missing," Patton said. “This offers a holistic approach for patients. In Native practice, we seek balance and look at the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual – it's represented in the four directions. This really helps people find a better balance. It can be a great coping skill if someone is struggling, and they can be part of smudge or praying. My goal is to help people learn how to connect with their higher power – whatever it is, and as long as it's positive."

Weller said a major role of the team is to listen to patients without judgment and provide guidance.

“My mission here is to be of service and a guide – a lighthouse to help others find their own path and believing that there is no one path," Weller said. 

Recently, the department was able to transition its contract staff into limited duration positions with a plan to carry them over in late 2025 to permanent positions – a move that solidifies OSH's commitment to offering holistic therapeutic practices to patients, Native Services staff said.

Staff have plans to expand opportunities for more patient involvement, including the advanced beading class where Bonnot will teach traditional medallion beading and the Good Medicine outings that will focus on volunteering in the community. The staff also help patients maintain connections within their own Tribal communities – like attending cultural celebrations. Patton recently accompanied one patient to the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde powwow.

“It was good to see his connection with his culture and how he values that. It was fulfilling to be able to help him do that," Patton said.

Clint Allen is one of the patients who participates in weekly “Good Medicine" nature hikes led by Patton, who is often joined by Weller and OSH Chaplain Lisa Barnes.

Before the group leaves for the outing, there's a smudge ceremony, and the hike itself is more than a walk.

“'Good medicine' is a Native term that's about healing and finding ways to heal," Patton said. “It's a way for them to connect with Mother Nature in a positive way and connect it to our own healing in our lives."

The time to reflect in nature is sacred to Allen.

“My family is part-Cherokee, and I wasn't really involved in any traditions before my time at the hospital," said Allen, pictured above smudging Weller before a recent Good Medicine outing. “I've found a sense of stability and wellness in a place that can be stressful. There's a mental and spiritual wellness that comes from being in nature, and it's a humanizing experience to feel a part of regular life when we're out in the community."

Before a recent outing, Allen was dealing with some tough family news that he shared with the group. Following a smudge ceremony, they stayed encircled for prayers – passing around Patton's red tail hawk smudge feather to mark the next person's turn to share a prayer for him and his family. While they're connected in a circle, it's also clear that their connection is deeper. It's familial.  

That support when you can feel alone at the hospital away from family can make all the difference, Matthew said.

“I would be lost without it and would feel a lot different about the hospital if it wasn't for these things," he said. 

Titus agreed.

“Having Native Services gives a sense of belonging and brings us together," she said. “There's a feeling of true community and acceptance. We're helping each other."