medicine man
Indigenous spiritual healer
A medicine man is a healer or spiritual leader in certain Indigenous cultures, particularly Native American traditions.
The role combines physical healing with religious and ceremonial functions—treating illness, interpreting dreams, communicating with spirits, and conducting rituals.
The term reflects an outsider's perspective on practices that Indigenous peoples describe with their own terminology.
Indigenous spiritual healer
- curanderoLatin American folk healer
- root doctorFolk magic healer
- witch doctorTraditional magical healer
- herbalistPractitioner using plant medicines
traditional healer · kahuna · bonesetter · faith healer · spiritual healer · village healer · elder · wise one
Formal event marking occasions
- incantationSpoken magical formula
- chantRepetitive rhythmic phrase
- invocationCalling upon higher authority
- blessingPrayer seeking divine favor
purification · smudging · sweat lodge · vision quest · pipe ceremony · drumming · dance · trance
Supernatural personal protector
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- visionsImagined or prophetic sights
- dreamsInvoluntary sleep visions
- prophecyForetelling of future events
divination · sacred · supernatural · otherworld · spirit world · cosmology · animism · totem
Plants for seasoning
- rootsUnderground nutrient absorbers
- barkSharp canine vocalization
- leavesTree's photosynthetic organs
- remediesTreatments that restore health
poultices · tinctures · salves · ethnobotany · peyote · ayahuasca · sage · sweetgrass
Social group sharing ancestry
- clanRelated group sharing ancestry
- elderSenior figure of authority
- chieftainLeader of a tribe
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
traditions · lore · native · First Nations · Aboriginal · Native American · Siberian · Amazonian
Wisdom keeper or seasoning
- insightDeep perceptive understanding
- knowledgeUnderstood facts and skills
- experiencePractical knowledge from life
- discernmentKeen perception and judgment
intuition · foresight · understanding · guidance · counsel · teaching · oral tradition · apprenticeship
shaman
Indigenous spiritual healer
- curanderoLatin American folk healer
- root doctorFolk magic healer
- witch doctorTraditional magical healer
herbalist · traditional healer · kahuna · bonesetter · faith healer · spiritual healer · village healer · elder · wise one · diagnostician
ceremony
Formal event marking occasions
- incantationSpoken magical formula
- chantRepetitive rhythmic phrase
- invocationCalling upon higher authority
blessing · purification · smudging · sweat lodge · vision quest · pipe ceremony · drumming · dance · trance · rites
spirit guide
Supernatural personal protector
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- visionsImagined or prophetic sights
- dreamsInvoluntary sleep visions
prophecy · divination · sacred · supernatural · otherworld · spirit world · cosmology · animism · totem · power animal
herbs
Plants for seasoning
remedies · poultices · tinctures · salves · ethnobotany · peyote · ayahuasca · sage · sweetgrass · cedar
tribe
Social group sharing ancestry
customs · traditions · lore · native · First Nations · Aboriginal · Native American · Siberian · Amazonian · African
sage
Wisdom keeper or seasoning
- insightDeep perceptive understanding
- knowledgeUnderstood facts and skills
- experiencePractical knowledge from life
discernment · intuition · foresight · understanding · guidance · counsel · teaching · oral tradition · apprenticeship · initiation
- folklorefairy tales, fairytales, folktales, folk tales, folk tale
- Wild Westcowboy, howdy, sheriff, giddyup, lawmen
- healersnurse, doctor, physician, surgeon, healer
- ceremony leadersofficiant, master of ceremonies, emcee, MC, celebrant
- African traditionsinitiation ceremonies, naming ceremony, ancestral worship, rites of passage, tribal chiefs
- ethnobotanyayahuasca, peyote, coca, coca leaf, cannabis
medicine manphysician
Licensed medical doctor
medical doctor · surgeon · doctor · clinician · specialist
medicine manskeptic
One who doubts claims
atheist · materialist · rationalist · secular humanist · debunker
medicine mancharlatan
Faker claiming false expertise
quack · fraud · snake oil salesman · con artist · mountebank
medicine, medical, medication, mankind, medic, medicinal, medicate, medicated, medications