They believe that hospitals are where you go to die. Only the medicine man can offer such healing. Giving what medicines he can offer, without regard to his person, and to put his patient s life before his own, this is the role of a medicine man. Anything less, will be unsatisfactory. This explains why so many medicine men are utilized in urban Indian communities.
Traditional healers gain the trust of Indian patients through respect and understanding.
Only then can a bonding relationship be established. Healers are respected in the community because they have compassion for their people. At the Las Fuentes Health Clinic, I offer American Indians both worlds medical doctor and someone who understands the culture and the spiritual side of the illness. As a result, they trust me and the rest of the staff in our clinic. Unlike the past, they come to me when they are sick or injured.