The Medicine Men (and Women)

 A Short History of Medicine

2000 B.C. - "Here, eat this root."
1000 B.C. - "That root is heathen, say this prayer."
1850 A.D. - "That prayer is superstition, drink this potion."
1940 A.D. - "That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill."
1985 A.D. - "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic."
2000 A.D. - "That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root."
~Author Unknown

This quote sums up my previous post quite well. Medicine and healing follows the old adage that everything old is new again...like neon colours and skin-tight jeans. One of the best pieces of advice I have heard, though related to food, can be applied to medicine; if your great-great grandmother wouldn't recognize it, don't buy it! I often ignore this advice when I have a horrible migraine and convince myself that my great-great grandmother MUST have been a smart lady and would jump at the chance to pop a few liquid gel caps instead of finding a willow tree, stripping some bark, and then steeping it into tea. But who knows...

We're going back to the earth....and I bet the earth is chuckling to itself. It's about time, really. In some ways modern medicine is indispensable. We have the tools now to fight things like lukemia, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, small pox, etc, that have killed numerous people in our past. I'm always shocked to read about people dying from things we don't even think about now. I mean, there are vaccines for EVERYTHING. Although, if you are faced with a serious illness like scarlet fever, for example, you may forget that our modern doctors have it covered. I shall share my somewhat embarassing reaction to waking up with scarlet fever; I'M GOING TO GO BLIND and....I burst into tears. I cried, yet again, in the doctor's office....she laughed. She then kindly reminded me that a round of antibiotics (friendly pink ones) would clear it up in no time AND I wouldn't go blind. Well, I knew how Mary Ingalls got on with her results. But I trusted that I wouldn't be needing a seeing-eye dog anytime soon. I reassured myself of this again, when the scarlet fever came back for a second round. Hmph! Really....who on earth gets scarlet fever in the 21st century...TWICE? 

I can say I've been pretty lucky in terms of my health. My immune system is pretty hardy and even if I do get sick, I tend to recover quickly. This proved to be helpful last winter when I was the lucky recipient of the H1N1 flu. Even while pregnant, I fought off the nasty thing with 2 Tylenol, lots of ginger ale...and the occasional whining...well, you didn't expect me to smile through it, I hope!

So all of this rambling leads me to the subject of my latest research. The shaman, or medicine man. I feel a strong connection to the men, and women, who took their healing talents to the highest level possible. I have been told many times that I am a healer. A lady who did my tarot cards (and was VERY accurate, I might add) said that I have been a healer for many lifetimes, that at one point I was responsible for tending to the bodies of those who had left this earth. Well, that all makes sense...I'm probably the only person who can say they went to a morgue for FUN...and enjoyed it. No, I'm not morbid...I'm just fascinated with the human body, how it works, and what happens when it stops working. It's this fascination that has gradually led me onto the path of healing. Now, I'm not saying I'm in the same category as the shaman, but I do believe I'm meant to build upon what comes natural to me. 

There have been shaman in many cultures as far back as the ancient Greeks. Many times these people are intertwined with pagan rituals, and are looked down upon by many religions. I am most interested in the medicine men and women of North America, mostly because I live here. The plants and herbs that have been used to heal in the past by these folk are the ones I can go hunt down where I live. Makes sense, huh? I've also started to realize the notion that whatever you're looking for is right under your nose, is true. And, seeing as this blog is to meant to get me more acquainted with Haida culture, I'll focus on the Haida shamans.

Thanks to Google, and a quick conversation with Albert Hans (employee at the Haida Heritage center), I have come up with a little list of facts about these men, and women. 

• They lived alone, often secluded in the woods and away from the villages.
• They did not have sex
• They were often richer than the village chiefs
• Some received Chilkat blankets for healing important people, such as a chief



Chilkat Blanket, pre-1870,
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=a1ARTA0001582

 

• They could be male or female. The male shaman, while curing the sick, would ensure good hunting and fishing, keep storms at bay and influence the outcome of war. The female shaman would have a bigger role in childbirth and things of that nature, while also curing the sick. 
• There were a few types of shaman. Some were mainly healers, some took on roles similar to a high priest, some were seers, etc. 
• Some shaman healed a person entering their body as a spirit and drawing out the disease or demon, while some were seen more of medicine men/women who used plants and herbs to cure their patients 
• Being a shaman isn't something you can go to school for, necessarily. The knowledge and helping spirits were usually passed down from one's uncle or you were chosen after defeating a great illness (hmm..does scarlet fever count?). I found a great description of this by John R. Swanton, anthropologist.

A shaman was one who had power from some supernatural being (sga'na) who "possessed" him, or who chose him as the medium through which to make his existence felt in the world of men. When the spirit was present, the shaman's own identity was practically abolished. For the time he was the supernatural being himself. So the shaman must dress as the spirit directed him, and, when the spirit was present, spoke in the latter's own language . . . The calling of a shaman was generally hereditary in his family, the order being usually from maternal uncle to nephew. Before he died he revealed his spirits to his successor, who might start with a comparatively feeble spirit and acquire stronger and stronger ones. (http://www.angelfire.com/ca/janechaos/haidapaper.html)

• The term shaman is interchangeable with "witch doctor", "seer", and "medicine man".
• The crests and animals associated with the Haida shaman tend to be ones of the sea, like the killer whale, the octopus, the halibut and the puffin (diving birds that could go to another realm beneath the sea) (http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/aborig/haida/haash05e.shtml)
• The 'tools' of the Shaman were individual and were often buried with the person instead of being passed down. 

 

These are only a few facts, I'm sure, but I have only just begun. I am full of curiousity and am especially interested in these medicine men and women. If you know any more facts, have any recommended reading, or any thoughts, please let me know. The point of the blog is to learn and share with others!

Picture of Haida Shaman wearing a Chilkat blanket and two wearing masks, which was rare. For more information on the picture, go to 

http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/haida_tattoo_1.htm .