Native American Religion and Medicine

Introduction

In the Native American tribes, there were so many beliefs and religious practices which were strictly followed by all the people of that particular tribe. From the spiritual and or religious field of view, there was a big connection between the religion and the medicine among these people of Native American tribes. However, the beliefs of the people from different tribes and the kind of medicinal items they used were different. The focus in this scope is to look at how there was a connection of religion and medicine in the southeast tribes in native America, whether they are still applicable in the present day and the evidence that they relate to the modern times in areas of healthcare or not.

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Discussion

The religion of the southeast tribes in native America was mostly dominated by Christians who had very serious beliefs in gods and goddesses but at the same time they had a very deep connection to the ancestral spirits whom they supposed that they could partake a crucial part in curing certain diseases which no one else could heal (Barnett & Fortin, 2006). However, in this southeast tribe of native America, there were still pagans and non-believers of religion who were so much in the belief of powers from gods and spirits although the greatest focus, in this case, is on the connection that medicine had with religion.

Shamanism

In this native southeast tribe, there was a practice that was referred to as shamanism which involved a lot of ritual performance and was based on spiritual divination (Rakow, 2013). The believers who were so much into religion and in this case Christianity at that time believed that the medicine men had the power to heal and they consulted them when faced with sicknesses for them to be treated. Moreover, these religious people perceived that the medicine men and diviners had been given this power to cure diseases by the gods and therefore were an important aspect of that religion who demanded maximum respect and adoration (Rakow, 2013). The medicine men used to treat and cure diseases by the use of herbs, treated water and several other things which they were directed to use by the gods and the spirits.

Medicine and Evil Spirits

Apart from them having the ability and power to treat and heal all kinds of diseases, they were also able to drive away evil spirits in the people who had been possessed of demons and witchcraft. Their gods had given them that power to cast away those evil spirits and evil spells in the southeast America tribe (Vande Kemp, 2012)The religious beliefs of the people were based on the calling that these people had received from their gods and ancestors to become the healers of the society. It was a gift from the gods which was not found in all the other people of the tribe since they believed that everyone had their calling in a certain field.

Gods and Goddesses of Healing

These religions believed that there were gods and goddesses of healing who had the power to heal them when they were attacked by diseases of all kinds. These are the gods and goddesses to whom sacrifices would be offered and special kinds of prayers would be made by the special people responsible for this, for example, the diviners and medicine men to seek healing from these gods (Koenig, 2004). The people believed that the same gods would cause sickness to people as a punishment for sins they had done against them or other people and the sicknesses could only be gotten rid of through praying to the gods and goddesses, appeasing them and requesting them to heal those who were sick and forgive them.

The faith of an individual was very important even when it came to the sicknesses and medicine because these southeast religious people believed that their faith was the one that would heal them even when the diviners and the medicine men had done their role. From this aspect of faith in the American native tribes of the southeast and their medicinal practices, it is clear that the traditional healing and medicine depended a lot on the religion of these people and what this religion dictated. It is not the religion that depended on medicine (McMullen, 1999)

Most of the things that took place in the medicinal field by the diviners and medicine men drew a lot from the faith and religious practices of the people for success. Shrines and other places of worship and sacrifices to the gods were seen and perceived to be the holy places where the medicinal practices would be performed by the medicine men and healers and this was because it was in the presence of the gods and goddesses who were responsible for healing the various kinds of diseases.

Relation to Modern Times

From the information about the medicine and religion in native southeast tribes and the relation of this to medicine in modern times, there is still that deep connection of religion and medicine today. For example, today's believers of religion believe that the doctors, nurses and other medical practitioners have they're calling from God to act as a bridge for the manifestation of God's healing power through them (Rakow, 2013). It is God who heals and not the people who treat and give medicine. In today's religion, there have been cases where the powerful men of God pray for the sick and the sick receive instant healing and this connects to the aspect of faith in medicine.

Evidence of Native Beliefs Pre-Contact Ideas

There is no such evidence of the traditional and or native pre-contact ideas in the present day's healthcare and religion but there are some few aspects that show that. In some parts of the world, there still exists diviners and medicine men and people go to these people for treatment at times when they get sick. This is even though the religious beliefs about them have adversely changed (Koenig, 2000). Most of the religious people today believe that they are healed by the power of God and when they pray and take medicine they are healed but do not have trust in diviners and medicine men.

Conclusion

The traditional medicine field strongly depended on the religious beliefs of the people. However, a big change has been witnessed in this as of the present days. Medicine is like becoming solely independent and it is the same case with religion. Whatever is shared between the two today is something very little which has got very little impact on the people. It is believed that with time, the little evidence of traditional medicine and its connection with religion will get to extinct.

Reference

Barnett, K., & Fortin, A. (2006). Spirituality and medicine. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 21(5), 481-485. Doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00431.x

Koenig, H. (2000). Religion and Medicine I: Historical Background and Reasons for Separation. The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 30(4), 385-398. Doi: 10.2190/2rwb-3ae1-m1e5-tvhk

Koenig, H. (2004). Religion, Spirituality, and Medicine: Research Findings and Implications for Clinical Practice. Southern Medical Journal, 97(12), 1194-1200. Doi: 10.1097/01.smj.0000146489.21837.ce

McMullen, A. (1999). Two-Spirit People: Native American Gender Identity, Sexuality, and Spirituality: Two-Spirit People: Native American Gender Identity, Sexuality, and Spirituality. American Anthropologist, 101(1), 210-211. Doi: 10.1525/aa.1999.101.1.210

Rakow, K. (2013). Therapeutic Culture and Religion in America. Religion Compass, 7(11), 485-497. Doi: 10.1111/rec3.12074

Vande Kemp, H. (2012). Psychology, Religion, and the Nature of the Soul. A Historical Entanglement, by Graham Richards. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 22(4), 333-335. Doi: 10.1080/10508619.2012.670043