western medicine practitioners may pursue
other interests in school before finding an
interest in healing and going on to medical
school. Annie Kahn’s family influenced her by
the ceremonies performed to open her path
toward becoming a medicine woman, just as
western doctors may come from families who
influenced and supported them in pursuit of a
medical career. Pam Kemp actually followed
the western medicine path and then realized
that Traditional Chinese Medicine was her
true calling. In addition, all of these healers at
some point work under the supervision or
training of other experienced healers that pass
on their knowledge. The difference for
western practitioners seems to be that their
training tends to follow a stricter timeline. If a
person decides to become a doctor, they
usually go to college and earn an
undergraduate degree, then continue on to
medical school, then the residency program,
and will still need to obtain a license to
practice medicine. It also seems that the
western doctors train in specialties that focus
on the biology of a human, and has a
tendency to overlook the person as a whole;
whereas, acupuncturists, the Navajo medicine
people, and curanderos attempt to heal the
whole person, including physical, mental
and spiritual well-being. While the
paths may be varied and
demanding, healing practices are
necessary in all communities
and in every generation there
will be those who find
themselves on the path to
becoming a healer.
Works Cited
Armstrong, Margaret E.
Acupuncture. American Journal of Nursing
September 1972: 1582-1588. Print.
Cowan, Richard, dir.
Eduardo the Healer. Centro Folklorico de Machu
Picchu, 1979. Film.
Kaptchuk, Ted J.
The Web That Has No Weaver. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 2000. Print.
Kemp, Pam.
“Acupuncture.” California State University, San
Marcos. 16 October 2013. Guest Lecture.
Perrone, Bobette, et al.
Medicine Women, Curanderas, and Women Doctors.
Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1989.
Print.
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