Traditional Healing

American Indian and Alaska Native communities enjoy a rich history of traditional forms of healing. For hundreds of years, tribal healers have provided a range of herbal and ritual treatments for physical and spiritual problems. Tribal leaders and elders serve as spiritual guides and conduct elaborate healing ceremonies that include the entire community in ritual activities such as dance, chanting, meals, fasts, physical challenges, or sweats. In traditional healing encounters, prayer and ceremony tap the strength housed within family, community, and Creator. Recently more American Indian and Alaska Native veterans are drawing on these resources for help with both physical and mental health problems. Traditional healing options can go hand in hand with conventional western medicine and counseling.

"I needed to take a stand, take a step forward, be able to, be open for these things to have any good things for me. And so, basically, that's what I did. It was one little step at a time. I started doing sweat lodges over the years.... On the behalf of veterans, we sponsored Native American church meetings for healing. Over the course of the whole thing, I've participated in numerous ceremonies that each have a little cog in it, a little step.... All these things helped me."