Essay On Native American Healing

Vivianna Gonzalez

Native American Healing Native American author, Mourning Dove, stated, “What kept us going, was the knowledge that everything on earth has its purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. That is the Indian theory of existence." (Mourning, 1990, p. 69) Histories that deal with health, illness, and medicine in America, often make passing mention of Native Americans as healers or sources of knowledge about medicine. Similarly, histories of Native-American cultures and early European contact pay attention only to health and healing with respect to these cross-cultural interactions. Many books and articles have been written on Native American medicine. However, there have been virtually no scientific studies done on tribal healing practices, undoubtedly due to the spiritual nature of the treatments. Some of these historical pieces of literature attempt to assess the impact of Native-American knowledge of New World herbs on the knowledge and practice of early-American elite physicians and botanists. Healing and medical practices of Native Americans has been obscured by time but there is anecdotal evidence available and competing perspectives about the true values of Native American healing practices

This contrasts with the one-on-one, doctor-patient relationship emphasized in conventional Western medicine. The specific healing practices utilized in Native American healing differ from tribe to tribe and from healer to healer. They also depend on the patient and the nature of the ailment. No matter what the tribe, however, the varying causes of disease are always considered, including a person's past deeds, their state of mind and emotions, and whether they are in or out of harmony with the spirit