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Native American medicine

Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine by Linda Chrisman

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Native American medicine is not covered by insurance unless perhaps the practitioner is a licensed health care provider. Most Native healers do not charge a set fee for their services. Healing is considered to be "a gift from the Great Spirit." Gifts to the healer are welcomed, however. The offering of a gift "ensures success of treatment because healing spirits appreciate generosity." Gifts may include groceries, cloth, money, or another personal expression of respect and appreciation.

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Frequently the only gift that is required is a pouch of tobacco.

Preparations

The medicine person tells the patient what preparations are necessary before the healing ceremony.

Precautions

A medicine person is essential to ensure safe healing through Native American medicine. People with hypertension should watch themselves during a sweat lodge ceremony for a possible increase in blood pressure. People with asthma may have difficulty when sage or cedar is used in a ceremony. People who are claustrophobic may find the close, hot, dark environment of a sweat lodge overwhelming.

Side effects

Some herbs may cause vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea. From the Native American point of view these reactions are usually welcomed and considered a form of purging or cleansing of the physical body.

Research & general acceptance

There has been no formal scientific research conducted on Native American healing practices. Medicine people do not write down their practices out of fear that they might be misused by people who are not trained in their sacred ways. The most prominent users of this form of medicine are Native Americans or others who want a spiritually based approach to medicine.

Training & certification

Native American medicine has been passed down by word of mouth for thousands of years. Healing power can come from one's ancestors, another healer, or through training and initiation. Generally, healers train under one primary mentor. Today, however, with the ease of long-distance travel and communication, many healers have several mentors. Training as a medicine person is a long process that requires strength, sacrifice and patience. Denet Tsosi, a Navajo medicine man, said that it took him six years to learn one of the chants.

Key Terms

Medicine bundle: A leather bag or animal skin in which a Native American healer carries herbs, stones, and various ritual objects as a sign of his or her healing powers.
Peyote: One of the dried tops of the mescal cactus. Peyote contains mescaline, a hallucinogen that is sometimes used in Native American healing ceremonies.
Shaman: A person who serves as an intermediary between humans and the supernatural world, using special powers to cure illness, foretell the future, etc.

Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Gale Group, 2001.

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Native American medicine

Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine by Linda Chrisman

Preparations

Precautions

Side effects

Research & general acceptance

Training & certification

Key Terms

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