The Native American Shaman: The Source of Sacred Knowledge

It is very common for mountain to confuse priest-doctorism with the graphic symbol of work done by medication men and care for women in tribal societies. Whereas, not all medicine people are shamans. In fact, most medicine men and women are not shamans. Many (shamans) fill social roles more exchangeable that of priests. To most Native people the shaman is seen as an well-rounded sacred practitioner, healer, herbalist, doctor, mystic, storyteller, dancer, and singer of songs. Hope replete(p)y, the information in this paper provide help to eliminate some of the Western misinterpretations about who the shaman really is and the role in which they truly play inwardly their society.

The Native American Shaman:

The Source of Sacred Knowledge

        The beginning thing that comes to mind (to most Westerners) when the intelligence information, Shaman is used, is witch doctor, magic, medicine man, medium or psychic. Each of these words has its own current connotation or implication, some of which is filled with superstition and negativity. further if we truly want to understand who the shaman really is, it is classical to understand first, that the word, shaman was chosen from the language of the Tungus tribe in Siberia. And it is not a Native American term (Beck et. al, pg.96).



The word (shaman) was particularally chosen by anthropologists, in order to accurately describe certain individuals in native societies who perform specific responsibilities in their community (Doore, pg.7). The shaman was often seen as an comprehensive sacred practitioner; a mystic, a doctor, an herbalist, a diagnostician, a hunter, a dancer, a singer, a storyteller, an artist and a mortal of knowledge (Beck et. al, pg.100).

        It is very common for people to confuse shamanism with the type of work done by medicine men and medicine women in tribal societies. Whereas, not all medicine people are shamans.

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