When we listen to the wisdom of our ancestors – this is the power waiting for us. This is the power within us. When we are connected in this way, we are all powerful. - Teara Fraser[i]
Ancestors are thus, one source of power—Medicine Power. Our medicine power originates from a deep spiritual connection to the Creator, Mother Earth, and the natural world, including spirits of animals, plants, and elements like water, wind, and sun. The Creator (Great Spirit, the Absolute) is the ultimate source of all power providing the first teachings and medicines to ancestors. Mother Earth (Pachamama) is a source of life and energy that can be visualized as a flow of power from the spiritual world. The power of the four elements and directions is a fundamental concept, as seen in the Medicine Wheel.
Sacred spaces/land has medicine power. Medicine men/women often have an ecological relationship with sacred spaces such as trees that hold power and land where ancestral ceremonies, such as “feeding the spirits” (burnings), have been repeatedly conducted.
Individually, medicine power originates from our internal power—the power of a strong heart and strong mind. This power is not seen as separate from daily life but is integrated through relationships with the community, environment, and the self, often involving sacred plants, rituals, and guided by medicine teachings passed down through generations.
Knowledge is medicine power. It is the experience and exercise of knowledge through our rituals and ceremonies, our connection to the elements, the earth, all our relations and the Otherworld (spirit world). The result is medicine wisdom. Medicine power comes from spiritual experiences of the Otherworld. And from the sun, moon, stars, earth, our co-essence and spiritual beings often revealed through visions, dreams, altered states of consciousness and/or a consciousness of radical nonduality.
Medicine power exists within our words and breath revealed through chanting and an individual’s medicine song acquired through an ascetic practice such as bathing, or from a vision. Its source is both earthly and Otherworldly. It is not a handed down song but a reflection of the medicine man’s and medicine woman’s power.
Indigenous medicine power also comes from a holistic approach that integrates spirituality, community, and balance with nature. This power is accessed through practices like using medicinal plants, ceremonies, prayers, and rituals passed down through generations of knowledge keepers. The land itself is viewed as a source of life and health, providing remedies for various ailments. This connection emphasizes the interdependence of human health and the environment.
Indigenous medicine views health as a state of balance between emotions, mind, body, and spirit, not just the absence of disease. Healing is a collective process, with family, clan, and community involvement contributing “healing energy” through participation in ceremonies.
The concept of “land is medicine” is fundamental, recognizing the healing properties of nature itself. This includes the use of medicinal plants but also a spiritual connection to the earth and its resources. Spiritual practices are central to healing, as imbalances are often believed to have spiritual roots. Ceremonies, such as a “burning,” are used to connect with the spirit world (ancestors, Otherworld) to gain knowledge, power, and promote well-being.
Medicine men and women recognize that individuals have personal power to heal and maintain balance within themselves. Healing practices often involve guiding a person to make behavioral or lifestyle changes to support their own healing journey, such as through self-inquiry.
Medicine power recognizes the importance of energy and consciousness as a great emphasis is placed on the role of energy in healing, seeing the body as more than just physical matter as in opposition to moder medicine. While modern medicine focuses on physical and biological causes, Indigenous medicine considers the spiritual and energetic realms as critical to understanding and treating illness.
Medicine knowledge is an oral tradition. Healing knowledge and ceremonies are passed down orally from elders to apprentices and is often protected by specific protocols. Healing practices are deeply tied to ceremonies, which can include prayer, song, sacred dance, and purification rituals such as stone-people’s lodge and bathing.
An Indigenous medicine man’s and woman’s power stems from their connection to the spiritual world (Otherworld), enabling them to heal the sick, diagnose illnesses, and provide spiritual guidance. Their abilities comes from a combination of traditional knowledge of plants and herbs, rituals, chants, medicine songs, and a deep understanding of both physical and mental well-being. They are seen as healers who maintain harmony within the community by being a bridge between the natural and spirit realms.
The spiritual landscape the medicine men and women navigate is complex, involving relationships with deities, ancestors, and the natural world, which influences health and well-being. Rituals, songs, and ceremonies are essential to this practice, as they invoke spiritual powers to manifest desired outcomes. Overall, medicine men and women serve as religious leaders and cultural custodians, embodying the connection between the community, its traditions, and the spiritual world. The role of these healers is rooted in ancient traditions, with practices varying widely among different Indigenous cultures and regions.
[i] Teara Fraser is a proud Métis woman and pilot. She is reclaiming language and matriarchal ways of being and integrating them into the non-traditional field of aviation. CEO of non-profit initiative Give Them Wings and founder and CEO of the Raven Institute. (https://www.powherhouse.com/indigenous-power/)