Written by Rowan Wolfsong
The Story
When I was five years old, Jean-Michele Lavoie, my Abenaki and Sioux great-grandfather, started to educate me in the healing ways of the Sioux and Abenaki. Yes, I was very young, and I did not completely understand what he was telling me. Of course, I was only a child. Still, I had a good memory. As I matured, my education started to involve daily walks in the woods; these hikes were my great-grandfather’s way of introducing me to the Great Earth Mother. I had to learn to see Her with my heart. Society shunned my great-grandfather’s ways; thus, he taught me what he knew in secret. At the same time, though, I hated my strengths. I thought they were a curse. A that moment, my life became a downward spiral.
In November, 1997, my great-grandfather and I went for a walk in the woods. He took me to a field with a small pond, and we watched the sun lower itself below the western horizon. Suddenly, I felt an icy chill run down my spine. I looked at my great-grandfather; he looked at me.
"My physical form is dying, my child," he told me. "I will always be with you--in the earth that you walk on, in the air that you breathe, in the fire that burns within your being, and in the water that you drink. You have so many gifts, but of all of them, your most important ability is your healing powers. You can heal people with more than just herbs; you can heal people with your heart and words." Two weeks later, with me by his side, my great-grandfather fell asleep, and he never opened his eyes again.
The Lesson
This story probably means very little to you, but in order to tell you about what I know, I needed to tell you about Jean-Michele. After all, I am passing on some of his knowledge to you, and though you may have heard this phrase many times, I am going to include it anyway: To use The Power you must feel it in your heart and know it in your mind, for if you do not, you cannot fully heal yourself or other people.
The Different Shamans
There are three levels of shamans, going in order from the least powerful to the most powerful. First, there is the seer. Second, there is the healer. Third, there is the "engineer," or "witch doctor." A seer is a clairvoyant, penetrating the veils that separate the world of the spirits from this world. A healer is, well, self-explanatory. An "engineer," or "witch doctor," is multi-talented, his/her powers encompassing healing and seeing abilities. Essentially, all Native-American shamans interpret the worlds of dream, spirit, and death.
The Herbal Medicine of the First Nations People
Native people believe that the natural state of things is health and balance. Sickness and accident are intrusive, enter one’s mind or body, a force that must be neutralized to reestablish the balance in one’s life. Therapy is holistic, treating the whole person: the body and mind. As a physical being, my great-grandfather believed that American doctors failed the public. To him, doctors did heal the body, but they did not heal the mind; thus, while the body was cured, the mind was not treated, making it believe the body was still sick. Shamans have a group of trusted allies: plants that can be processed so as to protect or enter the body to fight disease with the aid of proper ritual or ceremony. Many centuries ago, techniques were developed for taking the spirit inherent in the plant and transforming it into a tool that could enter the ailing body and treat the illness. Shamans use energy from the Great Earth Mother, their hearts, their bodies, and their minds to draw out or alleviate the disease.
The Herbal Preparation
Native-American healers know what part of the plant is best for which disease and when that part would have its maximum potency. Leaves and twigs, for example, reach that stage in late summer, and barks reaches that stage in the spring and early summer. Some plants should be fresh, for their effectiveness departs as they lose their freshness; while some plants retain their powers if dried correctly. Healers always ask permission of a patch of medicinal plant, and they usually leave a offering. An offering can be anything, differing with each healer. Customary to old Native-American belief, healers only take what they need. Plants are always handpicked and cleaned or rinsed to remove insects, dirt, and extrinsic plant parts. The plant material can be boiled or steeped in hot water, liberating the power in the plant and transferring it to the hot water. The herbal tea can be internally consumed or applied to the affected area. The plant material can also be mashed or shredded. Some healers like to mix it with sap or water. Whatever the case, the plant material is then applied as a poultice to the affected area; thus, the spirit from the plant can pass directly into the body.
External Treatment
External treatments consist of poultices of crushed
leaves or saps applied to the affected area. An
infusion, though, can also be used.
-Common Juniper is steeped to make an antiseptic hair
wash
-Hemlock Leaves are good for chapped skin
-Spotted Wintergreen is steeped and applied to
blisters
-Alder Leaves and Bark are good for festering wounds
-Balsam Fir is good for bruises, sores, and wounds;
also good for burns
-Blue Flag is crushed and mixed with flour to make a
poultice for any pain
Treatments for Cold, Fevers, Headache, Flu
-Black Spruce Bark and White Maple Bark make a good
tea for the flu
-Alder Leaves and Bark make a good tea for fever
-Aspen Bark is steeped and made into a tea for colds
-Ground Hemlock is made into a tea for fevers and
colds
-Juniper Berries are good for colds
-Wild Lily of the Valley tea is good for headaches
-Black Cherry Bark is steeped for coughs
-Water Lily Juice of Root is for coughs
Treatments for Asthma, Ulcers, and Stomach Problems
-Shining Willow Bark is smoked to relieve asthma
-Juniper Underbark and Berries make a tea for ulcers
-Raspberry Runners make a tea for stomach problems
Treatments for Sprains and Fractures
-Balsam Fir is good for fractures
-Juniper Gum with a Deer-Hide Bandage is good for
sprains
Sage
My great-grandfather loved sage. About two or three pinches mixed in with a tea is good for bronchitis, dizziness, gas, headaches, colds, sore throats, laryngitis, and nausea.
Conclusion
This knowledge is family knowledge. Wolf Eyes, my great-great grandmother, passed it on to my great-grandfather, who, in turn, passed it on to me. I have not included everything I know; it is against tradition.
