21; was very common and widely available. It was use by Indians because of the calming effect it had on the central nervous system. All remedies were carried in a little satchel, called a medicine bag. This bag was filled with roots tied up in individual bundles with some order as to what items belonged together.The center of the Native American Heath care system was the medicine man. The medicine men were priests, magicians and healers who handed down their knowledge and customs from one generation to the next. Medicine men were considered wealthy; receiving many gifts of money and wild life if a sick person they treated became well again. They were required to be masters at their craft, much like the doctors of today. Knowing every song, every word and ritual in perfect tune and order was essential for success. Everything had to be perfect and correct in order for it to work. The medicine man ultimately disappeared when “during a forty year period ending in 1934, the us government forbade the tribal role: anyone attempting to serve as a medicine man was to be imprisoned for no less than ten days or until such time as he could produce evidence, satisfactory to the court, that he would forever abandon all such practices.” (Dharmananda, 2000, P.3)In delivering modern nursing care while incorporating the beliefs and customs of the Native American, a nurse does not have to move very far beyond what she already knows. The Native American believes that “well being and wellness is total: body, mind, and spirit. It’s holistic. Its not just about a physical aliment and treating a physical ailment” (Simth-Mala, 2000, P.1). This belief comes close to the theory that nurse treats the person and the person’s reaction to a disease. If we, as nurses, care for a person and not treat them like a broken machine, we will be reproducing the beliefs of the Native American. If a person feels as if he can be...
