Alex+and+Brenna+Medicine

**Native American Medicine** **By: Alex Mauer and Brenna Hogan** toc = Background and History = Native American medicine has had a major impact in the modern medicine field. To Native Americans, health is a continual process of staying strong spiritually, mentally, and physically. Their medicine focuses on the holistic approach to medicine which emphasizes the treatment of the entire person. This includes the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of that person. Native Americans healers (often called “shamans”) believe that a person’s health is intertwined with the natural and spiritual world and incorporates symbolic healing rituals, ceremonies, and the use of herbal remedies.

In the Beginning
Native Americans believe that people should try to maintain a constant, daily harmony and contact with the Creator, follow all sacred teachings, and treat all forms of life (including rocks, trees, water, and animals) with respect. People must remain in harmony with themselves, others, and their natural environment and must gain strength to overcome the forces that cause illness. In order to stay healthy, Native Americans believe that members of the tribe must adhere to traditional beliefs and obey tribal religious beliefs. If a member violates these beliefs, there are consequences such as physical or mental illness, disability, bad luck, or trauma. In order to restore your health, you must set the violation right. Native Americans also believe that most illnesses are related to spirits. It is the evil spirits that cause the imbalance between the body and mind.

Contributions
Native American remedies have greatly influenced modern medicine. Medicines that treat some of the oldest known diseases were used and created by Native Americans. Some examples are using quinine to cure cramps, chills, and malaria, ipecac to make people vomit up poison, and curare to relax muscles. Curare was actually used as an early treatment for tetanus and to relax patients before surgery. Today, it is used in muscle-relaxing drugs. Another important discovery was cocaine. Today cocaine is used in one of the most important anesthetics in the world. Native Americans used many herbs to purify the spirit and bring balance to people who are unhealthy. Tobacco is one of the most sacred plants to Native Americans. It is used in almost every cure. Sage is also greatly used and is believed to protect one against bad spirits or to draw the bad spirits out of the body and soul. It can also be used to heal stomach, colon, liver, kidney, and lung problems, on the hair and scalp, and to heal burns. It is an antiseptic for colds, allergies, and fevers and can calm the nerves. For head colds, cedar can be burned and inhaled. Cedar is also combined with sage and sweetgrass to create the material used in the sacred smudging ceremony. These are just a few examples of Native American herbs that are used in modern society. In fact, 7 out of the 10 top-selling herbal remedies used in the United States today were originally from Native American healing techniques!

Indigenious Medicine
Native American medicine is classified as being an indigenous healing tradition because most of the world’s population can no longer afford western high-tech medicine. Because of this, they have turned to the natural healing techniques of the Native American culture. So many people have converted to this form of healing that the World Health Organization recommended that they be integrated into national healthcare policies and programs. Now, much of the world’s food and medicine have Native American origins and more than 200 Native American herbs have been listed in the US Pharmacopoeia.

Role of Spirit and Connection
A major difference between Native American healing and modern Western healing is the role of spirit and connection. The Western healing system is mostly based on the physics of the body and how fixable you are. Native American medicine, on the other hand, considers spirit to be an inseparable element of healing. Instead of focusing on fixing unique body parts that are separate from each other and the environment, Native Americans believe we are all part of a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. They also believe that we are related to all forms of life. Native Americans make medicine tools out of things from nature and use these tools to evoke the spirit in order to strengthen their inner powers. For example, when shamans play a medicine drum, they call up the assistance of the spirits of the tree and animal from which the drum was made.  

Vision, (("JD Challenger : Wisdom Of The Shaman." //First People of America and Canada - Native American Indians. Turtle Island. Legends, Treaties, Clipart.// Web. 09 May 2011. [].)

Cultural Rebirth
Surprisingly, Native American practice of spirituality was banned in the land of religious freedom until the 1978 passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. This seems odd because you cannot fully appreciate Native American medicine without its spiritual dynamics. Because of this ban, Native American healing was driven underground and almost to extinction. Banning the practice of spirituality in their healing techniques forbid them of practicing medicine. Without the spirituality influence, Native American medicine was at a major loss. As soon as the prohibition lifted, however, Native American medicine began to become a world-wide interest. It became an antidote to modern society’s soul-depleting and environmental-damaging aspects.

Distinguishing Features
There are many ways in which the Native American and Western healing techniques differ but here are a few examples:
 * NATIVE AMERICAN MEDICINE || WESTERN MEDICINE ||
 * Focuses on health and healing the person and their community. || Focuses on pathology and curing the disease. ||
 * Diseases do not have a simple explanation, they are complex, and outcomes are not always measureable. || Diseases are biological and treatment should produce measureable outcomes. ||
 * They ask, "What can the disease teach the patient? Is there a message or story in this disease?" || They ask, "How can I destroy this disease?" ||
 * Looks at the "big picture" and the cause and effect aspects of the environment, spirit, and body. || Have a "divide-and-conquer" strategy and looks for the microscopic cause. ||
 * Intuition is primary. || Intellect is primary. ||
 * Healer is a health counselor and advisor. || Physician is an authority. ||
 * Confidence, awareness, and tools are used to encourage patients to take charge of their own health. || Depend on medication and technology. ||
 * Health history includes the environment. || Health history focuses on the patient and family. ||
 * Focuses on the spiritual connection. || Focuses on the physics of the body. ||

Medicine Wheel
The Native American medicine wheel is used for various spiritual and ritual purposes. It is mostly used to heal illnesses because it is believed that illness springs from spiritual in balance. The medicine wheel focuses on the balance of all things and it was thought that this balance would help the spiritual in balance in the person who is sick. Most medicine wheels have a basic pattern with a center of stone, and an outer ring of stones with “spokes” of stones radiating out from the center. When creating this, they chose a circle because it represents the circle of life and the shape of the sun and the moon. Circular life is a major aspect of Native American culture and it is very important that the circle is incorporated with medicine. The medicine wheel consists of the four cardinal directions and four sacred colors. North is blue and stands for defeat and trouble. East is red and stands for success and triumph. South is white and stands for peace and happiness. West is black and stands for death. The center stands for balance, beauty, and harmony. 

Rituals, Ceremonies, and Herbal Remedies
The Native American healing is promoted in many different ways. Some of the most common aspects of Native American healing are the use of herbal remedies, purifying rituals, shamanism, and spiritual healing to treat illnesses of both the body and the spirit. Herbal remedies are mostly used to treat physical conditions. Purifying rituals are used to cleanse the body. A shaman is a Native American healer that focuses on using spiritual healing powers to treat people with illness based on the idea that spirits have caused the illness. Symbolic healing rituals are used to invoke the spirits to help heal the sick. This can involve both the family and friends of the sick person. = **Methodology** = For our project, we used a variety of resources and personal creativity to explore Native American medicine. We had three internet sources, two newspaper articles, one television episode, and nine books to complete our project. We decided to use a remedy book to make some mint tea in order to cure indigestion and to take a spoonful of honey to cure a cold. We also made a medicine wheel out of pine needles. The television episode we watched was a Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman episode featuring a willow bark tea cure. Our interview was cut short due to lack of available time, but we did manage to ask one of our main questions. =﻿<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Fieldwork** = <span style="background-color: #091495; color: #09ce09; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 240%; height: 191px; width: 238px;">





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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">In our research, we came across a book of recipes and remedies. This book was used by Native Americans to cure many common ailments such as headaches, colds, and coughing, and also to treat severe injuries such as burns, external bleeding, and rheumatism. Brenna was feeling a little sick so we decided it was the perfect opportunity to test these treatments out. First we made mint leaf tea by boiling water, chopping the leaves up, and adding them to the water. Next, we used a spoonful of honey to treat a cold and a sore throat.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The Medicine Wheel is a major aspect of Native American medicine. We decided to make our own replica. Unfortunately, we could not find enough rocks nor sidewalk chalk to make a legitimate replica. Instead, we used pine needles. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">As kids, our favorite television series was Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. In many of these episodes, Dr. Michaela Quinn uses the Native American’s healing techniques to cure her patients. In one specific episode, Dorothy’s son Tom comes back from the war. He was shot in the leg and became addicted to morphine. Dr. Quinn and her husband Sully soon realize that his addiction has gone too far. Tom breaks into the Michaela’s home at night, scares her children, and shoots at Dr. Mike’s son. Caught up in the moment, Dr. Mike shots the intruder in the leg not knowing he is her best friend’s son. The leg must be amputated and Tom throws many fits when Dr. Mike refuses to give him morphine. Feeling guilty and at a loss, Dr. Quinn visits a Cheyenne man named Cloud Dancing. Cloud Dancing cuts Dr. Quinn a piece of willow bark and tells her to give it to Tom as a pain relief. Tom eventually is freed from his addiction.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Interview with Bobby Soden: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">1. Tell us about your Native American Heritage. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">Are we Indian? We definitely have Indian blood. One look at my Father would easily convince you of that. Is it Cherokee? Quite probably but I’m not sure since Native Americans once lived in what is now known as Arkansas. Our farm was littered with arrowheads and other relics of their past. I had a huge collection at one time and all of those came from that little spread of dirt my Dad farmed. I would say I am about 5% Cherokee to be exact. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">2. Tell us about the Cherokee people. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">The Cherokee people were originally in and around Georgia, SC, and NC. Of all the tribes, they were the most peaceful and probably most cooperative with the whites.

= **Analysis/Conclusion** =

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 19.8pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Native American medicine has played an important role in modern medicine. It is proven through the similar techniques and products used in both ancient and modern times. Without the resourcefulness of Native Americans, we would not have nearly as many life-saving drugs as we do today. Native American medicine is a system based on simple practices that has evolved over time into today’s medicine field. It focuses on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the patient in order to fully cure them. Native Americans healers (often called “shamans”) believe that a person’s health is intertwined with the natural and spiritual world and incorporates symbolic healing rituals, ceremonies, and the use of herbal remedies. They strongly believe that most illnesses are related to an in balance of a person’s spirits. Compared to Western medicine techniques, Native American medicine is much more relaxed and focuses on every aspect involved. The Western culture finds what is wrong, focuses on that part only, and treats to destroy the problem. Native Americans, however, treat patients based on numerous factors such as the weather, family, and spirits and ask what the disease can teach the patient. Native Americans medicine was the earliest form of medicine and is the basis of modern medicine used around the world today. Without it, the human race would fail to prosper. =Works Cited= Bonvillain, Nancy. Native American Medicine. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1997. Print.

Brown, Fern G. American Indian Science: a New Look at Old Cultures. New York: Twenty-First Century, 1997. Print.

// Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. Season 2. Episode- Life and Death. // Television.

<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Interview with Bobby Soden." Personal interview. 3 May 2011.

<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">Johnston, Ph.D., Laurance. "Native-American Medicine." Print.

<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">Kleber, Louis C. "Religion among the American Indians." Print.

Liptak, Karen. North American Indian Medicine People. New York: F. Watts, 1990. Print.

<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">Lund, Duane R. //Early Native American Recipes and Remedies//. Staples, MN: D.R. Lund, 1995. Print.

Moerman, Daniel E., and Daniel E. Moerman. Native American Medicinal Plants: an Ethnobotanical Dictionary. Portland, Or.: Timber, 2009. Print.

"Native American Medicine." //Native American Indian Community Free Chat Blog Classifieds.// Web. 09 May 2011. <http://www.native-american-online.org/native-american-medicine.html>.

<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Native American Medicine Wheels - History and Meaning." //Support Artisans Crafting Indian Gifts, Native American Art and Crafts//. Web. 09 May 2011. <http://www.support-native-american-art.com/Native-American-Medicine-Wheels.html>.

<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">Orr, Tamra. //Native American Medicine//. Philadelphia, PA: Mason Crest, 2003. Print.

Ritzenthaler, Robert E., and Pat Ritzenthaler. The Woodland Indians of the Western Great Lakes. Garden City, NY: Published for the American Museum of Natural History [by] the Natural History, 1970. Print.

<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">Vision, A. "JD Challenger : Wisdom Of The Shaman." //First People of America and Canada - Native American Indians. Turtle Island. Legends, Treaties, Clipart.// Web. 09 May 2011. <http://www.firstpeople.us/pictures/challenger/JD-Challenger-Wisdom-Of-The-Shaman.html>.

Vogel, Virgil J. American Indian Medicine,. Norman: University of Oklahoma, 1970. Print.

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