I am an Alaska Native Healer | INDIE ALASKA

Amelia Simeonoff has been working in traditional healing most of her adult life after taking mentorship with one of Alaska's most prominent Indigenous healers, Grandma Rita. Now she is using the practices of talking circles, drumming, and crafting to help Alaskans heal from trauma, generational trauma, mental health challenges, and feelings of suicide.
This episode was made possible in part by a grant from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.
#indigenouspeoplesday #alaskanative #generationaltrauma
Video by Matt Faubion, Jeff Chen, Kaylee King, and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
Story by Matt Faubion and Valerie Kern
Music by Universal Production Music
INDIE ALASKA is an original video series produced by Alaska Public Media in partnership with PBS Digital Studios. The videos capture the diverse and colorful lifestyles of everyday Alaskans at work and at play. Together, these stories present a fresh and authentic look at living in Alaska.
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[@aerialcombat]

Thank you Amelia, youre healing light is needed in this dark world

[@naturallyherb]

I took a course about indigenous music history in my music program at university which was taught by a visiting professor from Kingigin (Wales), Alaska, the westernmost point of continental North America. While she's more of a researcher rather than a healer, the traditional music from her Inupiat culture that she introduced definitely felt very healing, as are some of the traditions shared.

[@amarbaha]

Loved this episode and these ladies are amazing

[@gregcrowe8885]

Beautiful 💖 Thank You for helping

[@BriONeil]

💗💗💗

[@amyg.333]

I loved this! ✨💜✨TY!

[@erikm8372]

I garden obsessively, play Irish and country fiddle, play the tin whistle, study Spanish…what else…but nothing helps me at the moment since quarantine. I mean, it’s true, these things are very helpful, and not only manual activity but servitude helps as well. I know all this because we were told about it when I used to do yoga almost 6 days a week for six years, but that ended with quarantine. Haven’t gone to a class since 2020.. I used to go to a studio by my house and had an entire community group of friends there, teachers and students alike.. I brought numerous friends and coworkers and family to their first yoga classes there. Now that’s way out of the budget and it’s been a real domino effect. I know everyone is just telling me “deal with it,” or “find a new way around the wall,” I get that. But that’s where the rubber meets the road. And I don’t think everyone understands the term DOMINO effect, and the energy that is drained from a person af. R nearly everything and everyone falls apart or just disappears selfishly…I won’t get into each situation, but let’s just say that one by one, 98% of EVERYTHING fell apart for me. Love, friends, work, the top three things that dissolved with quarantine. That’s ON TOP of my entire life, my house, my belongings, clothes, everything being taken. It was all ransacked and more or less stolen when my house (of ten years!!) was vandalized and broken into… all because I stayed one night at my family’s house for thanksgiving in 2021. So in the end, I had to move back to parents place. With like, no belongings hardly. All stolen for what purpose? Greed I guess. And being in another part of the city, well…That’s isolating in and of itself. I don’t even know how to get the strength to ATTEMPT an improvement. I don’t know why this is happening. I know yoga would be step one. But the money.. oh, and I’m not gonna do yoga at home. Too hard and I liked hot yoga. But It was really the discipline of the schedule and attending class that improved me mentally. I had my spot in the studio that I liked, and i was half an hour EARLY to each class just to secure the spot! Now I’m not going and my drive has been, and is, slipping. So yeah, can’t do yoga at home. Too many distractions. Sigh. Guess I’ll play the fiddle some more. ☘️ 🎻 lol

[@blackhagalaz]

I am so sorry you had such a rough road ahead of you. Since it's been 5 month since you posted I hope you are doing a bit better? I feel what you are going through, I had a burnout this year and my depression and OCD caught up to me. I was In a clinic for 8 weeks where I also started yoga and meditation, and now I visit a yoga course and do sport twice a week. It's very beneficial but I understand that the exhaustion and distraction sometimes is just way to much to start on your own. Have you been diagnosed wit depression? Because it sounds like this could be what you have been going through. I'd never thought I could enjoy my passions again for a while, but therapy really helped me. Yoga and Meditation was the "aftercare" so to speak. Maybe talk with someone you trust about organizing you therapy. It's hard to do on your own, so there is no shame in asking for help :). I promise talking to a professional will improve your life. You will enjoy all the things you enjoyed prior, and you will maybe learn new things to enjoy. Take care❤

[@anthonyrstrawbridge]

What a lovely woman. I wish to receive her teaching. Someday I will venture out I hope. I have a question please, anyone with leads drop a reply: Medicinal lodges: What Is the difference between sweat lodge and smoke bathing? Was smoke bathing a traditional healing practice?

[@humanbeingfromearth]

I wish i could learn from her. Take care

[@brett4264]

You never used to see those chin tats before that show about building the railroads back in the 1800s. Wish I could remember the name. There was a very pretty native woman on the show that made that tat look very good. After that show, those chin tats became popular.

[@brett4264]

Just remembered. It was called, "Hell On Wheels". It was a good show.

[@conradmartineziii9027]

Im in kodiak..trying to better myself...im open to anything just to be better

[@ShiningNoctowls]

🔥🌧🌈

[@isaiahj5482]

What can I do or what needs to be done if my family is under spiritual attack

[@indiealaska]

So sorry to hear your family is going through a tough time. Sending you love from Alaska