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Native Healing - The Cherokee Way







The scent of atsin (cedar) is rich in the air. A soft song accompanied by a
small gourd rattle - a gantsedi is being sung by didanawisgi - a medicine man.
He kneels over his patient, lays down his rattle and gives the patient a sip of
a potion he has prepared from certain plants and herbs known to have a
healing for this sickness.

You might think this is a scene from years ago but it isn’t. This scene with
slight modifications due to tribal traditions and ceremonies is being performed
for patients all over the country. Why? Simply because it works. Here the
goal is to first help the patient recover - to cure the sickness - to help the
patient find his or her balance - the harmony of our living. The ceremony is
as important as the potion or salve made from the plants or herbs. This is
what is now known as holistic healing - a healing of the complete person.



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