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Indian Lore Three
Native American Folklore & Superstition:
Healing & Natural Phenomena

Native American Lore & Superstition:
Healing & Natural Phenomena

Healing

     Arctic tribes- The soul of a sick child is conjured into an amulet which is then kept by the shaman, to prevent harm to it during healing.

     Iroquois, others- Hot ash is a common ingredient in healing rituals.

     Navajo- Soot made from the ashes of specific plants is rubbed on a sick person’s body to form a sort of armor against evil spirits.

     Tlingit- Evil sorcerers used dolls to cause sickness.

     Huron, others- Cures are found by medicine men in dreams.

     Iroquois- Offerings of corn mush and tobacco are given to the spirits of the woods to prevent illness.

     Iroquois- Plants that grow upright can cure humans, while plants that grow horizontally are used for harm.

     Iroquois- Ridiculing or disrespecting a mask will cause illness involving the face, such as boils & measles.

     Pequot- Cow dung is applied to the face as a toothache cure.

     Pequot- Sheep dung mixed with the urine of the youngest child will cure measles.

     Various tribes- Women’s menstrual blood has powerful healing properties.

     Apache- Laughter frightens away illness.

     Various tribes- Ill people are often renamed so as to confuse the evil spirits causing the illness.

     Cree- An affliction which can’t be cured is thought to originate in the hidden or forgotten misdeeds of the patient.

     Arapaho-  When a person is ill, a friend can promise to quill a piece of clothing for the sick person, and when they do the quilling, the sickness diminishes, and the prosperity of the quiller is enhanced.

Natural Phenomena

     Iroquois- The turtle upon whose back the Earth rests causes earthquakes by moving around trying to get comfortable.

     Tillamook- Lunar eclipses are caused by the Moon becoming distracted from shining when talking to spirits.

     Southeastern tribes- A rainbow indicates dry weather is coming.

     Navajo- Rainbows are a bridge from this life to the next.


Native American Lore-
Introduction & Credits

              Native American Lore-                   
Children, Life & Death (page 1)

Native American Lore-
Hunting & Ceremony (page 2)

Native American Lore-
Animals & Celestial Bodies (page 4)

Native American Lore-
Plants & Women (page 5)

Native American Lore-
General (page 6)

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