Native American culture Essay Example for Free

primal American culture Essay inborn Americans were influenced by the environment, plants, and animals in the atomic number 18as in which they settled. Some practices were influenced everyplace time by migration and contact with otherwise tribes on trade routes. umpteen tribes used herbs and seeds gathered from their immediate environment and from hunting excursions for meliorate rituals or ceremonies.Many internal practice of medicine practices were lost or driven underground because they were banned or illegal in parts of the United States until 1987 when the American Indian Religious Freedom Act was passed. In 1987 there were difficulties with ceremonies and rituals on sacred sites, as ritual activities are sometimes forbidden because the land now serves other purposes. Today, inborn American and American Indian community-based medical systems still practices some inborn American healing rituals, eyepatch others secretly practice in their homes and refuse to use conventional medicine.Those who grew up within the Native American culture still apply what they learned or grew up with, which is healing uncannyly along with their illnesses. They do not believe in modern medicine and question any of the practices that are available now. Native Americans tap into the knowledge gained from their ancestors and take to lather it out instead of giving in to conventional medicine. Beliefs and Practices.With this in mind, the Native American culture carries the understanding that the harmonious balance amidst oneself, man and nature is civilise and should not only exist, only if it needs to be respected. Rituals and practices bring participants into harmony with themselves, their tribe and all of life. on that point is a belief that violating tribal laws carries consequences to include mental and physical illness, ongoing bad luck, disability or trauma. Any violations must be made right in order for harmony and good health to be restored.Among Native Americans, the idea remains that the sickness and illness that one experiences is related to to a spiritual cause, and in turn creates a disparity between mind, proboscis and spirit. Native Americans deem their bodies as an observation of the spirit and just as each person has to keep harmony with oneself, each person is trustworthy for his or her own health and also recognizing that all thoughts and action (negative or positive) carries consequences creating either harmony or disharmony. Any disharmony or disparity may cause illnesses.Native Americans believe that they are related to and intertwined with all forms of life therefore they can call on or evoke enliven, which strengthens their inner cosmos and can be called upon to render assistance further emphasizing why harmony and oneness in the Native American culture is a necessity. The Native American philosophy recognizes that there are non-homogeneous aspects of natural world that cannot be seen by the naked eye or with any form of technology, but can only be experienced spiritually.Furthermore, Native American healing also includes a concoction of practices much(prenominal) as religion, spirituality, herbal medicine and rituals to conduct people with medical and emotional conditions including the use of sweat baths, usually in a sweat lodge to purify, cleanse and allow participants to emerge reborn. The lodge is a darkened enclosure heated with stones from a fire and represents the warm moist heat of the womb, allowing them to be renew into the Light of the world. They also wear medicine bags, which are botherted or beaded with designs and patterns for the wearer this is done to tempt the spirit of the animal figure of symbol.Most medicine bags usually contain common object such as stones, ash from a ceremony fire, roots and barks, herbs, feathers, dirt from a ceremonial ground, or woodwind instrument from a tree struck by lightning. Native Americans primarily used herbs to correct a nd to fix the mind, body and spirit for example, sage is believed to protect against bad enliven, heal the stomach, nasal passages, colon and kidneys cedar is used for coughs and hilltop colds and sacred or pure tobacco which allows their breath, the source of life to be keep an eye on visible rising up to the Great Spirit carrying prayers.Native American healing practices differ greatly, as there are over five hundred and the type of ritual is based on their Native American Nations, which are called tribes. there are many tribal differences and the most sacred traditions are still kept secret, passed from one therapist to the next. The most common healing ritual involves herbal remedies which can include teas, tinctures, and salves. For example, one remedy for pain can be treated with bark from a willow tree which contains acetylsalicylic acid also cognise as aspirin.Native American medicine addresses imbalance on every level of life, from the most ain inner life to the most o vert behavior. Some illnesses are believed to be caused by angry spirits a therapist would perform a ritual to cleanse this person and them. Disease is not specify by physical pathology, but viewed from an expanded context that includes body, mind, spirit, emotions, social group, and lifestyle. Most Native Americans believe that illnesses come from spiritual problems and that their healing practices can cure almost anything. Some healers are believed to have cured sum of money disease, diabetes, thyroid problems, asthma, and crabmeat.Scientifically, there is no evidence that supports that Native American healers or herbalists can cure cancer or any diseases and there have been no scientific studies that have supported those claims. On the other hand, individual reports suggest that it can reduce pain and stress and improve quality of life and Native and non-Native Americans alikesuggest that these methods really do work for a range of physical and emotional ailments, including he art disease, diabetes, thyroid conditions, cancer, struggle rashes, asthma, alcoholism, and depression.Native Americans use a wide variety of treatments such as herbal remedies, purifying rituals, shamanism, and symbolic healing rituals to treat illnesses of both the body and spirit. Native Americans rely heavily on herbal remedies which are used to treat physical conditions, whereas purifying rituals are used to cleanse and prepare the body for healing. shamanism refers to the belief and practice of communication with the spiritual world. Shamans are intermediaries between the human and spiritual world and treat sickness and diseases by healing the spirit.Symbolic healing rituals use ceremonies involves the community and sometimes included chanting, singing, pictorial matter bodies, dancing, exorcisms, sand paintings, and limited use of mind-altering substances can be incorporated into the ritual to persuade the spirits to heal the sick person. These rituals can last hours or ev en weeks and are a way of communicate for help from the spiritual dimension and the healing treatments are usually a slow process, spread over days or weeks.The person who is ill is with the healer most of the time to make sure that the healer can connect with the spirit of the one who is ill. Prayer is also an essential part of all Native American healing technique. Most Native Americans see their healers for spiritual reasons, such as to seek guidance, truth, balance, reassurance, and spiritual well-being and call conventional medicine a cure to the white mans illness. They prefer to use spiritual healers and native remedies in place of conventional medicine. ConclusionFinally, Native American health beliefs and practices as patients and as medical professionals can have an adverse effect. Healers and family members perform or participate in ceremonies to rid patients of bad spirits, or offer song and prayer in blessing a board where someone has died, but modern medicine, also known as the cure to the white mans illness still has to intervene. This intervention is frequently a must as herbs and potions used by herbalists, medicine men and women may have not been thoroughly tested to find out how they interact with medicines, foods, or dietary supplements.When a Native American physician goes to see a patient, due(p) to strong pagan doctrines and beliefs, eye contact is avoided and speaks in third person when delivering a difficult diagnosis. If the patient does not marvel about the chances of survival, nothing is said about it. Strongly held Navajo cultural tenets do not allow instanter linking a person to an illness and its consequences. To do so could be interpreted as wishing harm. ethnical deference only goes so far ultimately, the patient has the right to know everything and all options for treatment in order to make an informed decision.Nowadays, Native American patients may seek medicine men for cost increase and to restore their spirituality, yet they also must put faith in modern doctors. Bridging the cultural chasm between physicians and traditional healers is seen as essential for improving care to the Native American population. Although Native American healing has not been shown to cure disease, anecdotal reports suggest that it can reduce pain and stress, and improve quality of life.Also, due to the limitations in the studies that were conducted, it is impossible to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of Native American healing, consequently requiring more clinical studies to confirm the benefits of the specific healing methods. Regardless, the communal support provided by this type of healing could have proficient effects. Prayers, introspection, herbal remedies native ceremonies, rituals and meditation can be calming, reduces stress and can create a life-time of comfort, benefit and peace of mind for those who live and believe in it.