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American Indian Healing Arts: Herbs, Rituals, and Remedies for Every Season of Life

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American Indian Healing Arts is a magical blend of plant lore, history, and living tradition that draws on a lifetime of study with native healers by herbalist and ethnobotanist E. Barrie Kavasch.

Here are the time-honored tribal rituals performed to promote good health, heal illness, and bring mind and spirit into harmony with nature. Here also are dozens of safe, effective earth remedies--many of which are now being confirmed by modern research.

Each chapter introduces a new stage in the life cycle, from the delightful Navajo First Smile Ceremony (welcoming a new baby) to the Apache Sunrise Ceremony (celebrating puberty) to the Seminole Old People's Dance.

At the heart of the book are more than sixty easy-to-use herbal remedies--including soothing rubs for baby, a yucca face mask for troubled skin, relaxing teas, massage oils, natural insect repellents, and fragrant smudge sticks. There are also guidelines for assembling a basic American Indian medicine chest.

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 1999

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About the author

E. Barrie Kavasch

30 books10 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Sheila Zenni.
114 reviews5 followers
June 21, 2025
If only the greedy men had learned from the American Indians instead of judging and destroying them.
Profile Image for Anne G.
14 reviews4 followers
January 26, 2008
BEST BOOK EVER! I have used so many of these exercises and they are so effective! Thanks to this book also, I was able to complete the Native American recipe for herbal induction in pregnancy which brought our Olivia into the world :-)
Profile Image for Emily.
147 reviews
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September 4, 2009
My father gave me this at Christmas. I have just started picking it up a couple of times a week and reading a chapter. It is a really wonerful book with fantastic recipes and it also appeals to the history lover in me. One aspect that I really love about the book are the pictures of the leaves of plants it discusses and uses in recipes so I can visualize exactly what I would be working with when creating the balms, salves, teas, etc.
Profile Image for Theresa.
8,284 reviews135 followers
April 15, 2018
American Indian Healing Arts: Herbs, Rituals, and Remedies for Every Season of Life
by E. Barrie Kavasch
a beautiful edition that will allow you to to understand cultural ideas in physical herbal and medical purification with in american indian tribes.
Profile Image for Donna Brown.
Author 3 books72 followers
February 5, 2022
This book has some fascinating facts, a number of poems, lots of historical information, and recipes. I love the recipes. If you would like insight into the Native American world, this book is for you.
Profile Image for Jacob Zappey.
12 reviews
July 21, 2025
I would have liked more rituals and fewer remedies. Had lots of good information can be boring to read at times.
Profile Image for Linda.
851 reviews36 followers
July 31, 2008
A wonderful resource for the Native American way of healing through the seasons - an overview of many of the American tribes rather than a specific region. My interest lies in the fact that my grandmother had been taught the ways of native remedies through plant life as a young girl growing up in the hills of Georgia; the interest and learning carried over through her two daughters (my father's sisters) and ... not necessarily passed on but ...the interest continues.
10 reviews
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May 13, 2009
This book is a magical blend of plant lore, history and living tradition that draws on a lifetime of study with Native healers by herbalist and ethnobotanist E. Barrie Kavasch. It contains more than sixty easy-to-use herbal remedies and guidelines for assembling a basic American Indian medicine chest.
http://indiancountrystore.com/BOOKhea...
Profile Image for Stephen.
1,240 reviews8 followers
April 17, 2013
Awesome book. It is definitely a reference text and something to keep on the shelves. I will never remember most of it, but I feel more educated and have a better grasp on many different aspects of Native life and culture.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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