Between Two Worlds

The central theme of The Scalpel and the Silver Bear is Alvord's experience both as a surgeon (represented by the scalpel) and as a member of the Navajo Nation (represented by the silver bear). Alvord grew up in Crownpoint on the Navajo Nation reservation. She was poor in a poor community and while her father faced many of the struggles of other Navajo men (such as alcoholism), both her father and mother encouraged her to get an education. However, her experience at Dartmouth led her to feel alienated from whites. While she connected with the Native American students at Dartmouth, she did find herself culturally drifting away from her Navajo roots. This alienation only increased in medical school. Alvord gave one powerful example of this when she had to dissect a human cadaver despite the fact that Navajo custom demands that the dead not be touched...