| When discussing Native American healing, one | | | | Creator. In Native American tradition, making |
| must first get a basic understanding about the | | | | medicine is a process for achieving a variety of |
| practitioners of its art and the understanding | | | | positive outcomes: a good hunt, plentiful crops, |
| needed by patients. | | | | connecting with someone, healing someone, a |
| Most tribal people have one or more types of | | | | successful birthing, and so on. Medicine is the way |
| healthcare specialists that frequently overlap. | | | | people keep their balance; it provides them with |
| Some Native healers use herbs, some heal with | | | | the opportunity to grow in new and healthier |
| songs, and some with spiritual rituals. A midwife or | | | | ways. |
| a medicine woman or man might focus on natural | | | | Native Americans believe in a singular living God, |
| medicines such as herbs and hands-on techniques | | | | but also believe that same God may be |
| but also use prayer and ceremony. Shamans or | | | | contacted in many different ways. In Native |
| holy people emphasize spiritual healing but are | | | | languages, God is given such names as Great |
| often also knowledgeable about natural medicines. | | | | Spirit, Creator, Great Being, Great Mystery, |
| Kahunas are people, usually of Hawaiian ancestry, | | | | Above Being, The One Who Oversees All Things, |
| who have developed a level of spirituality that | | | | and He Who Gives Life. The missionaries |
| joins them with many of the spirit powers | | | | mistakenly thought that Native American people |
| allowing direct communication about the healing | | | | worshiped trees, eagles, the Pipe, and many other |
| process. | | | | things. What was misinterpreted was the use of |
| To learn, people must be open to the ancient | | | | these objects as gifts from the Creator, put here |
| wisdom and understand it in the context of the | | | | to help and to serve as conduits to greater |
| entire Native American experience. It is not | | | | understanding of the Creator's ways. Using these |
| something to be trivialized by simply purchasing | | | | gifts is one way to create an atmosphere |
| medicine objects and trying them out at home. | | | | conducive to addressing the Creator. |
| As one Sioux leader said, "First they took our | | | | Gratitude is a central aspect of Native American |
| land, now they want our pipes ... all the | | | | culture. Every day is a spiritual, sacred day. One |
| wannabees, these New Agers, come with their | | | | morning prayer, for example, is, "I thank You for |
| crystals and want to buy a medicine bag to carry | | | | another day. I ask that You give me the strength |
| them around in. If you want to learn our ways, | | | | to walk worthily this day so that when I lie down |
| come walk the red road with us, but be silent and | | | | at night I will not be ashamed." Thanks are given |
| listen." | | | | to the Great Power who makes all things possible. |
| The Spiritual Foundation of Native American | | | | People give thanks, not only for the good events |
| Medicine | | | | but also for the bad things that happen |
| Spirituality and medicine are inseparable in Native | | | | throughout the day, because they believe that |
| American tradition. Essentially no distinction is | | | | the more they show their appreciation, the more |
| made between religious and medical practices. | | | | blessings they will receive. |
| "Making medicine" is an important part of | | | | Whether a practioner or patient, one needs a firm |
| traditional life. It is how people give thanks to the | | | | conscience to understanding of this wonderful |
| Spirit who helps, guides, nourishes, and clothes | | | | type of healing. |
| them. Medicine is the constant pipeline to the | | | | |