Bonnie Duran is a Professor in the Schools of Social Work and Public Health at the University of Washington, in Seattle and is on the leadership team at the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (http://health.iwri.org ). She received her Dr.PH from UC Berkeley School of Public Health in 1997. Bonnie teaches graduate courses in Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR), and Mindfulness. She has worked in public health research, evaluation and education among Tribes, Native Organizations and other communities of color for over 35 years.



Dr. Duran is currently the Principal Investigator of 2 NIH funded research projects in “Indian Country”. Working with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, 22 Tribal Colleges, and UW collaborators, she is conducting 2 studies; (a) a psychiatric epidemiology prevalence and correlates study (N=3,202, and (b) a TCU-cultural adaptation of Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS). Dr. Duran is also Co-PI of an NIMH funded R25 HIV and Mental Health research training program, and a Co-Investigator on an NINR CBPR methods and measures study: Engage for Equity. 

Bonnie’s past work includes partnering with the Navajo Nation, Indian Health Service, the National Congress of American Indians Policy Research Center, and other Tribes and Indigenous Community Based Organizations on projects aimed at health equity, improving health services, and developing culture-centered health promotion. 



The overall aims of Dr. Duran’s research are to work in partnership with communities to design health access and prevention efforts that are empowering, culture-centered, accessible, sustainable and that have maximum public health impact. She has many publications including articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and books. Dr. Duran is an Editor of the 2018 Community-Based Participatory Research for Health: Advancing Social and Health Equity, 3rd Edition. Wiley. 



Bonnie Duran is also a Buddhist mindfulness practitioner and teacher. She teaches long and short mindfulness retreats and advanced programs at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS dharma.org) in Massachusetts and at Spirit Rock Meditation Center (SRMC Spiritrock.org) in California, and is on the Spirit Rock Teachers Council.

Learn more about Bonnie Duran: https://socialwork.uw.edu/faculty/bonnie-duran

00:00:51 – Sean introduces this month’s guest teacher: Bonnie Duran
00:05:16 – Introductory words from Bonnie Duran
00:08:35 – Bonnie’s background and focus for this session
00:12:58 – Mindfulness is an epistemology of the global south
00:17:42 – Culture, cultural competence, and cultural humility
00:23:46 – Short video on cultural humility
00:25:14 – Three dimensions of cultural humility
00:30:28 – Key elements of psychological well-being
00:31:37 – Empathy and compassion for addressing cultural humility
00:36:32 – Practicing cultural humility
00:38:25 – Three larger truths: imperfect, impermanent, and impersonal
00:54:03 – Teaching across cultures
01:01:32 – The power of body scan practices
01:06:13 – Participant question: How can we introduce mindfulness to groups that are resistant to it?
01:14:50 – The power of chanting and singing together
01:16:58 – Sensing into the elements during body scan practices
01:21:50 – ‘White Awake’ training to help reawaken to one’s beautiful cultural heritage
01:33:21 – Participant question: How can I properly defer and also promote inclusion?
01:41:41 – Participant question: Could it be offensive to draw attention to our differences?
01:47:51 – Participant question: Could white privilege be a myth?