What was the job of a Sioux medicine man?

Answer 1

When I visited Dakota the local Indian people told me that they did not recognise the word "Sioux" and found being called that insulting. The said that the correct name for them would be the "Lakota" people.

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This is a very complex subject that is often difficult for white people to understand, since it is closely linked to native religious beliefs.

Firstly, the word "medicine" is misleading since it is not the same as modern medicinal treatments. It derives from the French word medicin, meaning a doctor - specifically a native American doctor using magical and religious treatments. The Lakota term wichasha wakan means Holy man and this is much more appropriate than medicine man.

There were many different types of Holy man in all native cultures and the Lakota Sioux were no exception. Some specialised as healers, treating wounds or disease; others only dealt with war amulets to protect warriors and give them special powers, others dealt with love "medicines"; others could call the buffalo herds or bring specific types of weather such as storms; some used sacred translucent stones called yuwipi in special magical ceremonies; others only dealt with Sun Dance rituals or made war shields for warriors and so on.

A man would have to "pay" for love medicines, a war shield, treatments and other items provided by a Holy man - usually giving fine horses or some other items of value.

A healer (pejuta wichasha or man of herbs) used plants to treat wounds and disease, but also his own wakan or sacred power - without that the herbal remedies would simply not work. A waayatan was a visionary who could see into the future and foretell what was going to happen - when these things came true they were called wakinyanpi(winged ones).

This is a very simplified explanation of an intenselycomplex subject and there is much more to the story of Lakota Holy men, but this will help to give you some idea of what was involved. See link below for more details of the yuwipi ceremony:

Answer 2

This is a very complex subject that is often difficult for white people to understand, since it is closely linked to native religious beliefs.

Firstly, the word "medicine" is misleading since it is not the same as modern medicinal treatments. It derives from the French word medicin, meaning a doctor - specifically a native American doctor using magical and religious treatments. The Lakota term wichasha wakan means Holy man and this is much more appropriate than medicine man.

There were many different types of Holy man in all native cultures and the Lakota Sioux were no exception. Some specialised as healers, treating wounds or disease; others only dealt with war amulets to protect warriors and give them special powers, others dealt with love "medicines"; others could call the buffalo herds or bring specific types of weather such as storms; some used sacred translucent stones called yuwipi in special magical ceremonies; others only dealt with Sun Dance rituals or made war shields for warriors and so on.

A man would have to "pay" for love medicines, a war shield, treatments and other items provided by a Holy man - usually giving fine horses or some other items of value.

A healer (pejuta wichasha or man of herbs) used plants to treat wounds and disease, but also his own wakan or sacred power - without that the herbal remedies would simply not work. A waayatan was a visionary who could see into the future and foretell what was going to happen - when these things came true they were called wakinyanpi(winged ones).

This is a very simplified explanation of an intenselycomplex subject and there is much more to the story of Lakota Holy men, but this will help to give you some idea of what was involved. See link below for details of the yuwipi ceremony.

Answer 3

to cure people