Something that is used as a cure or remedy. But medicine was more than this among the American Indians. It was a bond with the supernatural world. To some tribes the term "medicine" meant "mystery," while among others there were two kinds of medicine: one dealing with magic and one with the actual curing of diseases or illness by its use. At other times medicine meant an object or objects which were believed to have mysterious powers to protect the owner.
The term "medicine" as used by the white man in connection with the Indians might have come from the name of the Midewiwin Society, a secret society of the Chippewa, Menominee, and Potawatomi. Midewiwin was translated as Grand medicine Society, and its members received instruction which increased their spiritual insight and power and taught them to cure diseases, mostly by secret methods.
Indians believed in both good and bad medicine. Good medicine was something that brought them good luck. Bad medicine was something that brought them bad luck. A person, animal, or object might be spoken of as good or bad medicine.
One of the first things a young Indian did when he reached manhood was to obtain his medicine. He might do this through a dream or vision. Or he might select certain things which had brought him luck. All these various charms were placed in a little bag which he carried at all times. Sometimes this bag container might be a huge affair and he would have to carry it strapped on his back.
Once he had his medicine, the Indian believed nothing could harm him. He would purposely test its potency by exposing himself to the enemies' arrows or bullets. He had complete faith in the power of protection his won medicine gave.
General Richard I. Dodge, a close observer of the Plains Indians, said in his book, Our Wild Indians: "According to the best authorities and to tradition, it was the custom thirty or forty years ago for an Indian to select the special ingredient of his 'medicine' but once in his life, sticking to it and believing in it through all the subsequent years of good or ill fortune. This is changed at the present time [1882], and the Indian who has an unusually long or severe turn of bad luck, attributes his misfortune to the failure of his 'medicine,' and going off alone will starve himself into a trance in the hope of having a new and more efficacious ingredient revealed to him."
There were occasions when an Indian would "make medicine." he would not commence anything, or undertake a hunt or a journey without first making medicine. Earth or sand of different colors, ashes of plants or of bones, or portions of birds, animals, or reptiles, and other things about which he might be superstitious would be mixed in a shallow dish, kept for this purpose, and stirred gently with a stick. From the combination of colors, or some other peculiarity developed by the process, the Indian could "read" the outcome of his project.
Should such medicine be good, off he would go on his hunt or undertake his journey. If bad he would probably stay home.
A medicine man would make medicine for the entire tribe before some great event, such as going to war. It was said, but never proved, that during the Custer Battle, Sitting Bull, who was a medicine man as well as a chief, was off in the hills "making medicine."
Tribes had sacred bundles containing the "tribal medicine," which were closely guarded.
Indians used roots, leaves, and bark of certain plants, as well as specified animal and mineral substances as remedies. Some of them have been found valuable by the white man, and he has adopted cinchona, jalapa, hydrastis, ginseng, and others.
Indians often thought that like cured like. A plant with a wormlike stem would be used in getting rid of worms. The Hopi treated baldness by using hair like plants. Southwestern tribes treated snakebite by applying a part of the snake's belly to the wound. When a person was burned it was thought that fire would draw out the pain, and the Hopi blew charcoal, ashes, and other products of fire on the burned part.
Related Information within this Site
[ Dreams ][ Fasting
][ Great Spirit ][ Lance
][ Man Being ][ Manitou
][ Medicine Man ][ Roots and Rootcraft
][ Sacred Bundles ][ Sage
][ Secret Societies ][ Totem
]