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What is a Medicine Person?

What is a Medicine Person?

A medicine person is someone who has been called by Creator to serve the needs of the people. “Medicine” in the indigenous culture means “spiritual healing,” and therefore many consider all things to be a form of medicine. Medicine people can be from any gender or can be considered non-binary or Two-Spirit.

Traditionally, the medicine person for a tribe lived away from the tribal grounds, and was fully supported by the tribe, so that they could focus all their attention on the spiritual needs of the tribe. Many medicine people were well versed in herbal healing for the body, as well as emotional and spiritual healing.

It is important to note that not all medicine people work with plant medicines. Oklevueha Native American Church recognizes medicine people who work with and without plant medicines. There are many different healing modalities in the world, and we honor everyone’s medicine as they practice according to Creator’s direction.

Every medicine person recognized by Oklevueha Native American Church has been carefully and fully vetted before they can hold ceremony in Oklevueha’s name. Studying to become a medicine person takes years, if not decades of being in and with these sacred ways. There is a maturity and a level of experience that is required, so that the church can fully trust that all who come to a particular medicine person will be safe and cared for in an exquisite manner.