What does the red Indian medicine man do?

Answer 1

The medicine man is an official spiritual position held by an often highly perceptive individual. This person has probably spent a period of time on a spirit quest to make sure that their connection is truly that of a spiritual leader. A medicine man is comparable to the European position of minister or reverend. The job of a medicine man is to calm a troubled spirit or to offer advice on how to best woo a woman. A medicine man will sometimes give false information in order to teach a lesson. A medicine man will sing blessings at weddings, funerals (give-away ceremonies), and sometimes divorces. Sometimes the position of medicine man is combined with the position of storyteller or lore keeper. In some tribes, the medicine man is very attuned to a person's spirit animal, or the animal who has chosen to guide that person through life. Some medicine men claim the ability to look at a person and tell right off what their spirit animal is. A true medicine man is not allowed to touch a weapon of any kind. This would defeat the purpose of serving the spiritual aspect of the tribe. Some medicine men believe that they cannot touch other people at all either, as this takes away their ability to see into the future. I believe that there are exceptions to this rule as some of the medicine men I have met have children. The philosophy of many of the First Nations is that everything is connected, and "red indians" are considered some of the most deeply spiritual people in the world. All creatures on earth are brothers and sisters, and the earth and sky are mother and father. Most First Nations believe in a creator God, and in Lakota this God is called Wakan-Tanka. The English translation of "Medicine Man" is sometimes misleading for non-tribal members. Medicine is the influence one has on a person's spirit. A bad medicine man will have a depressed, confused and violent tribe, whereas a good medicine man will have a healthy (mentally and physically) and positive tribe who can easily cope with both good and bad fortune. The Reverend Jeremiah Wright is said to have "bad medicine." The Medicine Man will sometimes lead a healing ceremony, but all sickness is caused by the soul leaving the body. Healing ceremonies will often involve smoke, which can lead a spirit back to the body and will confuse and exorcise evil trickster spirits. If I have left something out or if another's tribe has a different tradition, or if I have been mistaken in one of my statements, I deeply apologize as I have no intention of offending.