For over a thousand years, natural medicine has been used by Native Americans to promote the health and well-being of the millions of people on this continent. The diets and ceremonies that Native Americans used to greet the seasons and harvests were their way of purifying the mind and soul. The use of native plants for healing has been used to promote health by living in harmony with the earth. History indicates that each tribe had one or more elders who were trained from an early age in the healing arts in order to take over whenever the elder died. These healers would serve as what we would see as modern day therapists and doctors. The healers would serve the tribe not only as healers but also as herbalists and spiritual communicators. The responsibilities and types of healing arts and spiritual ceremonies performed varied from tribe to tribe. “Native American healing arts and practices are earth-based, honoring and respecting Father Sky, Mother Earth, Grandfather Sun, and Grandfather Moon.” Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Rituals and ceremonies play an important role in the health and well-being of traditional Native Americans, but the healing potential of these practices is usually not appreciated by mainstream health practitioners. These rituals involve all family members and sometimes even entire communities in this healing process. Native American healing ceremonies can last days and even weeks; it is believed that the longer they last and the more people are involved, the greater the power and healing energy. Through everyone's participation in singing, prayer, music and dance, the family and community contribute healing energy to the patient. One of the most popular Native American healing practices is the practice of using plants and herbs to cure common illnesses that plagued these natives. thousands of years ago. Native Americans are well known for their knowledge of medicinal plants. Part of their knowledge about how plants could be used to help with diseases came from observing the wildlife around them. They observed that deer, moose, and bears sought plants to eat when they were sick. They saw the animals recover and were able to experiment with these herbs and plants to heal themselves. It is believed that through this experimentation they developed a vast library of plants and herbs that cured their illnesses. To protect these plants from overharvesting, the elders responsible for medicine harvested every third plant they found. Native Americans' vast knowledge of the healing properties of herbs and plants was passed down from generation to generation orally to specially chosen healers within the tribe. Many modern remedies and medicines are based on Native Americans' knowledge of different plants and herbs that they used for thousands of years. Mugwort was believed to be a powerful painkiller. The Spanish bayonet plant had leaves and roots that produced a type of soap used to clean wounds. A plant called Chamise was used to treat skin rashes and irritations. California bay leaf was believed to have anesthetic qualities, so it was used to treat toothaches. Peppermint leaves crushed and soaked in cold water were drunk to help get rid of back pain. Creosote leaves were made into a tea and used for bronchial and other respiratory problems. The bark of the Devil's Club root was made into a tea to help offset the effects of diabetes. There,.2010.03.016