irit of an older brother or a dead parent.
Illness is often thought to have been brought on by sorcery or witchcraft, such as the Western Apache belief that most serious illnesses are caused by someone behaving improperly or violating the taboo towards holy things in which sacred powers dwell (Zimmerman and Molyneaux, 1996). Specific examples are boiling a deerÆs stomach, eating its tongue, or cutting off its tail, which are believed to offend the Deer Power; stepping on a snakeÆs tail or leaning against a tree that has been struck by lightening are also believed to cause sickness.
Among the Washo, disease is thought to be mainly due to supernatural causes and so the shamanÆs task is to deal with it (Siskin, 1983). Minor ailments are thought to occur by natural causes and so do not need the shaman to deal with them. The women of the tribe are knowledgeable about herbal remedies, and female relatives usually take care of these simple medical problems. People who canÆt afford the services of a shaman also rely on herbal remedies. Wome
...