medicine—but by producing research results that
will help treat or prevent many of the diseases that
affect every American family.Native American healing practices Methods for
restoration of health based on the belief that phys-
ical and emotional well-being is interconnected
with morality, spirituality, and harmonious rela-
tionships with the community and nature. There
are approximately 500 Native American Nations
(commonly called tribes), each with its own prac-
tices and beliefs and some basic rituals and healing
practices in common.
Although Native American healers claim to
have cured victims of heart disease, diabetes, thy-
roid problems, skin rashes, asthma, and cancer, as
well as emotional and spiritual problems, there is
no scientific evidence to support these claims. Prac-
titioners of Native American healing believe illness
takes root in the body because of spiritual prob-
lems, that a psychologically disturbed person may
not be receptive to healing or cannot be healed,
and that diseases target individuals who are unbal-
anced, embrace negative thinking, and lead
unhealthy lifestyles. Many Native American heal-
ers also believe that birth defects and other heredi-
tary conditions result from the parents’ immoral
behavior. Native American healing practices
attempt to restore balance and wholeness in an
individual in order to retrieve physical and spiritual
health.
The most common aspects of Native American
healing include the use of herbal remedies, purify-
ing rituals, shamanism, and spiritual healing to
treat illnesses of both the body and the spirit.
Herbal remedies treat many physical problems, and
purifying rituals cleanse the body; practitioners
claim that such rituals make the person more
receptive to other Native American healing tech-
niques. When it is believed that angry spirits
caused an illness, a Native American healer called a
shaman is often relied on for invoking spiritual
healing powers to treat the person and appease the
spirits. Symbolic healing rituals that may involve
family and friends of the sick person help invoke
the spirits to participate in healing the sick person.
One of the most common forms of Native Amer-
ican healing involves the use of herbal remedies,
including teas, tinctures, and salves. For example,
willow tree bark is a remedy for arthritis. Purifying
and purging the body are also important tech-
niques used in Native American healing. Not
unlike steam baths or saunas, sweat lodges and
special teas that induce vomiting may be part of a
healing regimen. Smudging—cleansing a place or
person with the smoke of sacred plants—is also
done to induce an altered state of consciousness
and sensitivity, making a person more receptive to
the healing. Prayer is also a major component of
Native American healing practices.
Another practice of Native American healing,
symbolic healing rituals, can involve a shaman and
even entire communities. These ritual ceremonies
include chanting, singing, body painting, dancing,
exorcisms, sand paintings, and even the use of
mind-altering substances, such as peyote, to per-
suade the spirits to heal the sick person.
Native American healing has been practiced in
North America for thousands of years and has
roots in Ayurvedic, Chinese, and other traditions,
but the greatest influence continues to emanate
from Native American knowledge of nature,
plants, and animals. The migration of tribes and
contact with other tribes along trade routes
allowed for exchanges of information and tech-
niques. The tribes gathered many herbs from the
surrounding environment and sometimes traded
over long distances. Contemporary Native Ameri-
can Indian community-based medical systems
offer traditional healing modalities and rituals.
According to information on the Native Amer-
ican website, “One recent clinical trial examined
116 people with a variety of ailments (such as
infertility, chest and back pain, asthma, depres-
sion, diabetes, and cancer) who were treated with
traditional Native American healing. More than
80 percent showed some benefit after a seven- to
28-day intensive healing experience. Five years
later, 50 of the original participants said they were
cured of their diseases while another 41 said they
felt better. Another nine showed no change, five
were worse, and two had died. However, the
comparison group who received different treat-
ments also showed benefits. More clinical studies
are needed to confirm the benefits of the specific
healing methods.”Native American healing practices 99