Communal Healing Among the Ojibwe: Past and Present
Submission Type
Event
Faculty Advisor
Rebecca Mafazy
Expected Graduation Date
2020
Location
Center for Natural Sciences
Start Date
4-4-2020 2:00 PM
End Date
4-4-2020 3:00 PM
Disciplines
Anthropology | Education | Sociology
Abstract
The Ojibwe were skilled healers on both the individual and communal levels long before European colonization. The Grand Medicine Society, a closed group of Ojibwe men and women, was at the heart of the community and provided education and social support, in addition to medical treatment. Following colonization, the secretive nature of this society ensured that the medical knowledge of the Ojibwe, including an understanding of herbal remedies, basic surgical procedures, and advanced natal care, was protected from European pressures. On contemporary Native American reservations individuals are returning to community based healing to treat modern social and medical issues related to the historical trauma of colonialism. Community based healing calls for revitalization of Ojibwe healing methods, creation of ceremonial healing spaces, expression of daily gratitude, use of physical and emotional detox, and the building of spiritual connections. Primarily, this relates to the treatment of alcohol and opioid dependency, both of which have been labeled epidemics on modern reservations and continue to feed into social issues such as domestic violence. Through the use of anthropological, historical, and medical sources, this project aims to highlight the modern applications of culturally significant medicinal practices of the Ojibwe both on and off native reservations.
Communal Healing Among the Ojibwe: Past and Present
Center for Natural Sciences
The Ojibwe were skilled healers on both the individual and communal levels long before European colonization. The Grand Medicine Society, a closed group of Ojibwe men and women, was at the heart of the community and provided education and social support, in addition to medical treatment. Following colonization, the secretive nature of this society ensured that the medical knowledge of the Ojibwe, including an understanding of herbal remedies, basic surgical procedures, and advanced natal care, was protected from European pressures. On contemporary Native American reservations individuals are returning to community based healing to treat modern social and medical issues related to the historical trauma of colonialism. Community based healing calls for revitalization of Ojibwe healing methods, creation of ceremonial healing spaces, expression of daily gratitude, use of physical and emotional detox, and the building of spiritual connections. Primarily, this relates to the treatment of alcohol and opioid dependency, both of which have been labeled epidemics on modern reservations and continue to feed into social issues such as domestic violence. Through the use of anthropological, historical, and medical sources, this project aims to highlight the modern applications of culturally significant medicinal practices of the Ojibwe both on and off native reservations.