Traditional Healing

Traditional American Indian and Alaska Native healing systems focus on balancing mind, body, and spirit within the community context. Contrary to the Western approach to health and healing, AI/AN healers do not isolate one part of a person and only try to heal that part. Traditional healing practices center on benefits to the emotional, spiritual, psychological and cultural aspects of the tribal group. Native Americans have practiced a holistic approach to healing for thousands of years. Part of this practice involves the use of medicinal plants and herbs.

• Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP)
  The association maintain a page that has links to other Web sites about traditional medicine. They also list transcripts from previous AAIP conferences that discuss various aspects of traditional medicine and are available through AAIP.



• Native American Ethnobotany
  Based at the University of Michigan this Web site lets you to search for botanicals used in healing.



• Native American Food Guide
  From the Association of American Indian Physicians at http://www.aaip.com/ and adapted from the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid at http://warp.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pyramid.html



• New Mexico AIDS InfoNet Fact Sheet on Native American Traditional Healing
  A fact sheet that is not just about AIDS, although it does touch on it.



• Plains Indian Health Traditional Healing and Western Medicine
  A University of Pennsylvania Museum exhibition that is now on the Web. It has interesting links and pictures.



• Providers Guide to Quality and Culture: Cultural Groups – Native Americans
  A portion of this interesting guide is devoted to traditional healing and what providers need to know about this tradition in American Indian culture. A "Providers Perspective" was given by a Mohawk physician, Theresa M. Maresca, M.D.



• Telling the Stories
  Developed by the New Mexico State Library Tribal Libraries Program, this website is intended to contribute to the preservation of New Mexico's diverse Native American languages and cultures by providing links to resources, tools, and educational information. The website also provides information about resources available through the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and other state government agencies.