Native American Secrets and Healing the Nation

Imagine a different time, where people lived off the land. Indigenous people carry a certain kind of wisdom, one that is preserved by their ancestors today. Not only did Native Americans live off the land, they were connected with all of nature. Some estimate that around 25,000 different plants were used therapeutically. They learned by trial and error. They would observe how different plants would affect them. They would also watch what other animals ate.

What happened to Native Americans? This question isn't typically answered in school, instead, the story is repressed with the tale of "Thanksgiving" and hand turkeys. The truth is the first recorded use of herbs can only be traced back to the arrival of Europeans. When they arrived, they brought disease which some estimate led to 80% of the population to die from sickness and disease alone. This is the case for indigenous people all over the continent. Unfortunately, for most indigenous people in the Americas, this marked the beginning of a devastating decline.

Some Native Americans taught Europeans how to get well using nature's medicine. Over 200 prescription medications used today are derived from medicinal herbs that were used by a wide range of different tribes. Even to this day, some people of indigenous descent have been hesitant to share their knowledge. They worry that their practices would be appropriated in the wrong manner, which could lead to their practices having less of an effect. Of course it could also be the overall resentment towards others because of how their ancestors have been treated by foreign powers.

"The U.S. government officially recognizes 574 Indian tribes in the contiguous 48 states and Alaska." Tribes have different beliefs, ceremonies, and culture. So this is where the term "tribalism" comes from. The idea of whenever you have different tribes of people, it's in our human nature to fight with one another. We see this today with sports, politics, or nationalism. We won't delve into the topic of conflict any further. The main point is that Native Americans are typically stereotyped and not many people are aware of the wide range of indigenous cultures that existed in the americas or how their existence has a huge impact on our daily lives.

Many herbs used as cures or remedies were discovered empirically and it wasn't known why they worked. Today, using science, we are able to identify the different properties that were responsible for their healing powers. Pine needles were used in teas with rose hips as a cold remedy. We now know that vitamin C and bioflavonoids can help with cold symptoms. They didn't learn by using logic, they used their senses. 

There is so much to learn from indigenous cultures and people are becoming aware of this. Have you noticed how many products are now 'all natural'? Perhaps it's because we're beginning to notice that many of our modern problems with health and lifestyle are man made. We live in a world of cell phones and easily accessible food. So we have these conveniences but what is the cost?