American Indian Culture and Research Journal

In many indigenous cultures, health is seen as the maintenance of balance among mental, physical, and spiritual well-being rather than the absence of disease. Life out of balance and in conflict with values and protocols—whether through one’s own behavior or intrusive forces—is often seen as a cause of disease and loss of vitality. For example, some see trauma-induced susto, “soul loss” or a sort of soul displacement, as a serious illness (with symptoms akin to post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) that requires a restorative treatment with herbs or, if it is more serious, ceremonial healing. Medicine man George Walking Bear Gillette of the Tubatulabal tribe stated simply that one reason so many people had diabetes was because life was no longer sweet enough. Other illnesses are attributed to neglecting ceremonial obligations, unfulfilled dreams, or immoderate or disrespectful actions. Healing—whether through bone-setting skills, herbal treatment, steam baths, or spiritual practices—is an act of reestablishing balance. Hot and cold balance evenly. Bones are realigned to work together again without pain. Reciprocity between patient and community and/or natural and spirit worlds is set back in harmony and souls are recentered in their bodies. In this system it is rare that a symptom or a part of the body is treated in isolation; mind, body, spirit, environment, and community are all involved. If Native community development could be approached this way and be framed as improving and maintaining integral well-being for the collective, then, ideally, holistic community development could heal deep injuries and fractures, boost internal strengths, balance mental-physical-spiritual needs, and even restore the community’s soul. For example, a community that has been exposed to overwhelming violence or traumatic events could collectively show symptoms similar to those of susto and require a community plan for healing that could be approached in a holistic way, much like traditional approaches to individual health. This approach would have to address more than economic or political development and include the relationships among economy, environment, culture, knowledge, family and society, education, and spirituality in order to restore and maintain the whole community body.