A person who gained his power of healing the sick through some secret means. This power usually came to the Indian medicine man through dreams or visions. Most of the healers claimed they could communicate with the spirit world and many of them were expert conjurors and magicians.
Some medicine men would build themselves a special hut and go inside it for a session with the spirits. soon the hut would shake and strange sounds would come forth. Often the medicine man would be found in a trance and when he came to, he would tell what the spirits had said. usually these spirits had told him how to cure diseases and what might be expected in the future.
It was common for the medicine men on visiting sick persons to beat tom-toms, making noises with rattles, and sing. Some would place their mouths on certain portions of the sick persons' bodies and claim to suck out the object which had caused all the trouble. After showing this object they would immediately destroy it.
Most medicine men did not practice surgery. But there are cases on record, such as the one where a medicine man bored two holes in a patient's chest so that he could blow out the evil spirit. This was a cure for asthma. There was another case of a woman who had brain fever and a hole was bored in her skull to let the evil spirits escape.
Most medicine men were feared and respected. Some rose to great power, notably Sitting Bull and Black Hawk.
Related Information within this Site
[ Black Hawk ][ Medicine
][ Sitting Bull ]
"The one who wishes to be a true medicine person must be a person of faith, and they can only work successfully with those who also have faith."
--Fools Crow, LAKOTA
Medicine People are spiritual beings who have made a decision to seek the Red Road. They sacrifice and seek the way of the Creator. After many years of dedication, the Grandfathers teach them about power and about laws and about how to use the medicine. The Medicine People develop tremendous faith in their medicine and in the Creator. When we go to the Medicine People, we too must have faith so they can help us. We can only be helped if we want to be helped. Because the Medicine People know how to help - that is only one half of it. The other half is up to us. We must have faith that the medicine has powers to help.
From the Elders Meditation of the Day June 22,
2003
Elders Meditation of the Day may be found at White
Bison Org.
From the Elders Meditation of the Day July 30,
2003
Elders Meditation of the Day may be found at White
Bison Org.