Native Healing....

[Star Wolf Medicine Woman]

I have found native healin to be a fascinating subject.
Throughout many centuries the Holy maen of all tribal groups kept the people well with their vast knowledge of herbs etc.. Indeed they were doing very well until settlers came bringing with them the white mans diseases that the red man had no resistance to...

Healong method and knowledge were passed down through the generations by word of mouth and by practical teaching.. My Hopi friend Moontee Sinequa is a champion Hoop dancer and he told me that the dance is for healing...He also said his grandmother was in her 90th year, she attributes her health to a herb tea infusuin which she drinks daily.. He didn't know exactly what was in it, as his grandmother gather the herbs/ flowers hersef, dried them and tied them in small bundles to make each brew.. I was given a few to try, they produced a reddish liquid not unpleasant but I couldn't identify the taste...

The Cherokee seem to market salves and balms to this day, but have to describe it as not guaranteeing to work??? US regs lol...

The Navajo use Sand picures... I actually have a small sand picture of a bear that was given to me... I was told it was for stregnth..?

Let us not forget who gave the world Aspirin, yes a conconction of Willow bark tea, was most effective in bringing down fever etc.. And Echinacea... now widely used..
I am always open to learning more, if anyone knows of other methods or effective medicine.. For Medicine was 'Magic' it worked wonders and kept the people well..
Feel free to add more examples...

[Shaunc]

Tea tree oil, tea tree is an Australian plant used for all sorts of fungal infection and skin irritation. I also use it on my dog and poultry to keep fleas and mites at bay.
Let us not forget garlic. A European herbal cure all. On a daily basis I take a garlic, horseradish & vitamin c capsule & have not had a cold or flu in years.

[Thunder Bow]

Note:

Navajo Sand Paintings were always erased after use. That is how sickness is removed.

The one you have, and others like that, are sold in gift stores and online, are not full sand paintings and are not used in a healing ceramoney.

[Star Wolf Medicine Woman]

Yes I know about the sand pictures being eraed.. This was just a smalll one given to me.. I'm just interested in the variations of healing methodology...

Another healig method I learned in /canada was at The Squamish Lil Wat Cultural Centre in Whistler, we did a craft session was to make Medicine bracelets.. These were woven from thin stips of a tough grass. /they were soaked to make them pliable and then plaited into a strip which you fastened to the wrist, you kept them on day ans night, bathed and swam in them until eventually they fell off, then you would be considered to be healed.. This particulal centre also taught us the traditonal dances and showed us how the made their canoes, the old way and the modern way, the old way produces a far better result but took 5 times as long to hollow out.

[CrystalSong]

In the Western Deserts in the Four Corners region and down into Mexico there's a wild sage that grows - it's rather bitter and strong but very helpful for common colds and flues and a few other things.

Even better in that region is a stalky plant/scrub called Mormon Tea, Brigom Tea, and Indian Tea, Popotillo and Frontiersman Tea- depending who you ask - it has a rich tradition from several cultural groups.

Brewed into a tea of various strengths it's fairly broad spectrum for numerous medicinal uses. In the early Frontier days it was very popular for curing venereal diseases like gonorrhea and syphilis, the natives used it for kidney disorders and colds/flues, it's also reduces bodily mucus's so is effective as a decongestant and bronchial dilatory.

My father used to chew on a stalk of it like a piece of straw and never had a cavity in his life. He attributes it to the Mormon/Indian Tea plant as his brothers and sisters and parents didn't chew it and all had cavities.

[Thunder Bow]

Navajo Tea is still used and found on the reservation here (Mormon Tea). The plant has small yellow flowers.

[Star Wolf Medicine Woman]

Thank you , its interesting to hear this.. I know 4 corners, I have stood with a foot in 2 states and an arm in 2 more.. That is really interesting about the Frontier /Indian tea, I wonder what it was made from.. My Cherokee buddys husband has kidney problems and I wondered if it might be worth a try, but they live in Texas..

Re the Hopi tea, that had tiny flowers in it too... I wondered if it contained Camomile Flowers..

[Makoiyi]

I grow and use Navajo tea here, I was given some seed years ago and bought it with me. Funny enough I planted some more the other day. I also grow my own White Sage and Sweet grass amongst other medicinal plants and herbs.

Makoiyi

[Star Wolf Medicine Woman]

Thats good you have grow your tea plant... I bought my Sweetgrass and White sage from USA on my last trip.
Its good to know some traditional medicines have been carried on.
I have used sweet grass as a Smudge.. But it can be made into a Tea as well and can even be a componant of a smoking mixture.
As I understand it , sweet grass should be cut dried and braided but never use the roots as these contain Coumarine and are Carcinogenic..

[Aki]

this is a topic that I'm actually very interested about. I always want to help people, and heal people, so I'm trying to learn more about herbal remedies. It's nice knowing about the Navajo tea, and I guess I'll have to look for some when I head out that direction this month. As to the sweet grass, I didn't know that that could be used in tea, so I guess you learn something new everyday. I will have to keep an eye out on this thread, and see what else turns up. I would love to be able to take these good, old remedies, that can help other people and pass them on to those that I love. Thanks so much guys, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else gets put up here.