Native American Healing and Rituals History When the Europeans first came to America, they discovered that the Native Americans had extensive knowledge of the herbs which grew on their land. The healing tradition of the Native Americans, like that of many early cultures, was based on a belief in an unseen spirit world that should not be taken with a grain of salt. This type of tradition is referred to as Shamanism. A priest, or shaman, who was believed to have a very unique influence on the spirit world, was able to use magic along with other healing herbs to cure the ill and wounded. The European settlers had such great respect for the herbal wisdom of the American Indians and relied heavily upon their knowledge. When Lewis and Clark made their famous expedition West ward from the Mississippi River, one of their goals was to learn as much as possible from the Native Americans about their beneficial herbs. Native American Tools and Traditions Animal Totems: The appearance of birds and animals, either in reality or dreamtime, are considered to be totem messengers offering spiritual guidance. Sweat Lodges: The Native American sweat lodge or purification ritual cleans and heals the body, mind, and spirit. Dreamcatchers: The earliest dreamcatchers (sacred hoops) were crafted for children to protect them from nightmares. Feather Fetishes: Fetishes are sacred objects used as a tool to facilitate an awakening into your whole self, used in prayer, or utilized for protection and healing. Prayer Ties: Prayer ties are offered to The Great Spirit in exchange for blessings. Smudge Sticks: Using a smoking smudge wand for purification is part of many Native American traditions. Ceremonial Peace Pipes: The Native American pipe is smoked in a ceremonial or ritual to call upon the four elements and give an offering to the Great Spirit. Curanderismo: Blending and evolution of Native and Hispanic healing techniques involving herbs, sweats, diet, and magick. Medicine Wheels: Each direction of the medicine wheel offers its own lessons, color association, and animal spirit guide. Herbs and Healing Rituals Asthma Skunk Cabbage. Used by the Winnebago and Dakota tribes to stimulate the removal of phlegm in asthma. The rootstock was official in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1882 when it was used in respiratory and nervous disorders and in rheumatism and dropsy. Backache Arnica. The Catawba Indians used a tea of arnica roots for treating back pains. The Dispensary of the United States (22nd edition) states this drug can be dangerous if taken internally and that it has caused severe and even fatal poisoning. Bronchitis Creosote Bush. A tea of the leaves was used for bronchial and other respiratory problems. Wormwood. The Yokia Indians of Mendocino County used a tea of the boiled leaves of a local species of wormwood to cure bronchitis. Burns Yellow-Spined Thistle. The Kiowa Indians boiled yellow-spined thistle blossoms and applied the resulting liquid to burns and skin sores. Childbirth Diabetes Wild Carrot. The Mohegans steeped the blossoms of this wild species in warm water when they were in full bloom and took the drink for diabetes. Diarrhea Black cherry. A tea of blackberry roots was the most frequently used remedy for diarrhea among Indians of northern California. Starr Abdelhadi, NS241, Park University, Fall 2011

References  Authentic Albuquerque. (2010). Retrieved from heritage/native-american.aspx heritage/native-american.aspx  Cherokee messenger. (2010). Retrieved from  Desy, P. (2010). Native American healing tradition. Retrieved from By:Starr Abdelhadi