Synopsis
The United States health system is highly effective at diagnosing and managing disease, yet it remains limited in its ability to produce sustained well-being, particularly within communities experiencing structural inequities. Current models emphasize individual behavior change and biomedical intervention, while often overlooking collective, cultural, and relational dimensions of health.
At the same time, many Indigenous and global communities facing histories of colonization, displacement, and systemic marginalization have preserved practices of joy, ritual, and collective gathering that function as protective and restorative mechanisms for well-being. These practices—rooted in music, movement, storytelling, ceremony, and communal connection—are rarely recognized as valid forms of health knowledge within dominant U.S. systems.
This project seeks to address this gap by learning from Indigenous communities outside the United States and translating those insights into actionable approaches that can inform a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient health knowledge system in the U.S. By centering joy as a legitimate and measurable component of health, this work challenges narrow definitions of wellbeing and expands what counts as knowledge in health systems.
Collaborators
This project is led by Carolyn Pierre-Outlar, a Physician Assistant with nearly two decades of clinical experience and a practitioner of somatic and holistic healing approaches. Her work bridges traditional healthcare systems with community-based and embodied models of wellbeing.
Key partnerships will include international organizations such as the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), which brings expertise in health equity research and community engagement. These partnerships will ensure that knowledge generation is grounded in local expertise and that interpretation reflects community perspectives.
U.S.-based collaborators will include community organizations and wellness practitioners who will support the adaptation and application of project findings within domestic contexts.
