Compare and Contrast Essay on Western Medicine vs. Indigenous Medicine

Introduction

The Blackfeet Indians also referred to as Siksikauw (black-foot-people) healing tradition has a rich long cultural history that extends beyond recorded history. The Blackfeet people are nomadic, hunters and gatherers of the Great Plains. The community has a rich culture of depending on indigenous medicines. As a member of the Blackfoot community, I inherited the art of making indigenous medicine right from my grandmother Mrs. Mildred Jerry who passed on in 1980. However, I have always remained adamant to learn more about the medicine and I have gone deep down to the community where I have found my mentor Mr. Bryan Littlechief who granted me rights to make medicine from the land he has taught me. Throughout my life, I have valued the power of the indigenous medicine, I have possessed insight, and wisdom gained through the traditional, ecological, and cultural knowledge (TEC) as well as lives the experiences. I believe that have medical knowledge from both indigenous medicine and western medicine, I will be able to draw a comparison and develop more research on the new developing illnesses.

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On my first day, Mr. Littlechief briefed me about the community, their ceremonies, and cultural practices. As Mr. Littlechief explained about the Blackfoot, the relationship between healing and spirituality is that they are the means of walking the path of Good Medicine in harmony and balance with all our relations. Mr. Littlechief took me through into the in-depth culture of the community where I got the opportunity to collect some data and information as I interviewed him and interacted with the prominent persons of the community who shared a lot about the community with me. Mr. Littlechief explained that the medicine man in the Blackfoot community is referred to as the Ni-namp'-skan, and he is the custodian of the ritual ceremonies. The community view spiritual practiced as an essential aspect of daily life. Worshiping and healing are both viewed to be the same thing, whereas healing and wellness are seen at physical and spiritual state. Mr. Littlechief instructed that medicine is the inner power or essence of life that develops every living being's presence and a particular way of life. Medicine is made-up of physical remedied such as the teas or herbs that prevent illnesses but remains to be the essence of the individual's inner being. The healing through the indigenous process involves the use of plants together with the spiritual practices that surround health and well-being.

During my second stay I approached the medicine man in the lodge who was operating on a sick boy, I appeared like a non-native and the medicine man understood my eagerness to understand the healing process while holding the bundles of braided sweet grass, he told me, "There is great power in the great power in that bundles. I will open it and teach you its ways. There are about four hundred songs that you will have to learn during the healing process. In addition, there are stories together with proper ways of acting them. Though it is not necessary that you learn all of them at once, the power of the bundle will lead your spirit." The medicine man lit the brads and capture smoke out of his body. He chatted with his eyes closed while the steady rhythm of his voice that appeared like it placed the boy under the spell. At one instance, the boys stopped struggling and the noise in his throat subsides. The medicine man concluded by saying, "the ground where my medicine rests is sacred. "

Mr. Littlechief with other seers of the community clarified that according to their community, diseases caused by the evil spirits; the spirits are the one known to be causing internal troubles such as hemorrhages, and diseases of digestive organs. Therefore, a method such as exhortations, prayers and other methods like songs are applied. Herbs might use depending on the type of the disease that is on hand, though that does not occur always. One of the common medicine used by the Blackfoot community is the Herbs are sometimes used, but not always. One of their medicines is a great yellow fungus that grows on the fine of the trees. It is dried then pondered into powder form before administered in either infusion or dry form. As a tradition, while the doctor performs the rites, no one is allowed in the lodge apart from the patient's immediate family members.

I had learned and heard of the sweat lodge, being in the midst of the native community, I took the opportunity of going to lodge where I accompanied a sick fellow who was to be performed the ritual. When we arrived, the patient was taken into the dome-shaped structure that is covered with animal skin that was the sweat lodge. The sweat lodge is used for spiritual ceremonies and it is a curative agent that is known to fight many forms of illnesses. The person removed the cloths before getting inside. Then the hot rocks were passed in, from outside, and the cow skin that creates a wall is pulled down to the ground to restrict any cold air from getting inside. In the absence of the pipe man, the oldest person in the community started to pray to the Sun, while sprinkling water on the hot rocks, then the dense steam will rise, leading to perspiration fairly dripping from the body which is known as the 'medicine sweats'. The process took three hours through which prayers were conducted, several pipes smoked to the sun and songs chanted. My curiosity led me to ask Mr. Littlechief about the significance of the sweat lodge. I learned that the sweat lodge is built to symbolize the Sun's own home or lodge, which is the world. The Blackfoot community perceives sweat lodge as a purification ceremony for the healing process as it cleanses to mark a fresh start to life. Healers use songs, humor, smudging, smoke pipes, and ceremonies to bring the healing energies into the healing space and emphasis their effects.

The next day, I accompanied Mr. Littlechief to get to know the Wi-wanyang-wa-c'i-pi also known as the Sun Dance Ceremony. For sometimes, I have seen the drawing s and the pictures of the Sundance and it was noted that the practice is sacred and important to the wellbeing of the community. I believed that by participating in the ceremony would get to know and understand what it all entails. The ceremony was conducted at the Blood Reserve adjacent to the Standoff Albert. The ceremony is a private and spiritual community event that lasted for 3-4 days. The practice was characterized by singing and drumming as people moved around the camp. The dance was the connection of the Mother Earth to the beings of the Sky World and power. The practice of renewal was inherited from the First People who are from the Turtle Island during the times of the Ohio Mound Builders, the Incas, the Olmecs, the Mayan, and deep into the origin of the human cycles of the cosmos. The Ni-namp'-skan is also the priest of the Sun, and prayers are offered through him are considered to be specially favored. I understood the sacrifices that it came with people dancing under the scorch of the hot sun without water and food. Apart from the treatment purpose, the ceremony is also meant to receive visions, renew the relationship with the spirits, powers, or laws that animate the cosmos.

After a long day of activities, Mr. Littlechief took me back to the camp where we were waiting for the sunset. I sat down outside the lodge as I reflected on what I have learned so far since my stay was coming close to an end. During the night, the elders shared the story of the community that is usually passed from one generation to another. I encountered the story about the 'Napi Legends" or the mythical accounts of creation. Napi is a supernatural being and the creator of the land and all beings in it. The powers of Napi can take us to the heart of Blackfoot science and metaphysics. Through the stories, I learned the knowledge behind the relationship between the people of the community and the spiritual beings in the healing of the community and strengthening the ultimate wellbeing of the people. I came to know that medicine can be the ordinary medicine that is extracted from herbs and teas to cure and prevent illness, but it is also the essence of the person's inner being. To the Blackfoot community, medicine is the continual process of staying strong mentally, spiritually and physically.

Conclusion

Although I had gained some knowledge from my grandmother Mrs. Mildred Jerry, my interaction with Mr. Littlechief together with the Blackfoot community earned me some more knowledge and I can now draw a comparison on the nature of their religious practices to the healing process in relation to what is done in the western medical field. Being part of the Blackfoot community you have to learn the sequence of the ceremonies, songs, chanting, dances, and stories of life. The Blackfoot community has retained their religious practice for time immemorial and they practice them up to the present days.