Healing System

The Ju/’Hoan healing consists of a series of rituals in which the hole village participates. It involves forces beyond the natural order. These forces help in the healing of the villagers when aserious illness or misfortune strikes, which is believes that it is caused by the //gangwasi (ghosts of recently deceased Ju/’Hoan).

This tribe is far from defenseless in the face of the malevolentspirits. They use spells, herbs, magic formulas and practices in order to restore the affected people’s health and misfortune. If these treatments fail, they still have a back up plan, the n/ um, whichis a spiritual medicine or energy given by gods to men and women. Specially trained healers use this energy to enter trances and this way heal the sick.

There are two medicine dances, one of mencalled the Men’s Giraffe Dance and one of women called the Women’s Drum Dance. In both dances there is a division of roles, which is egalitarian for both sexes.

In the men’s dance, women are crucialfor them to enter trances. They sing and tend the fire whereas men dance and enter trances. It is said that without their strong sustained singing, the n/ um cannot boil and men cannot enter trances.In the women’s dance, the roles are inversed. Women dance and enter trances while men play a supporting role, beating complex rhythms on the long drum which is the central symbol of the dance.

Inthe case of Western and Black civilizations, things are quite different, although there are some things they have in common.

Western believes illnesses are caused by an external factor such as avirus or by a genetic disorder, whereas the Ju believe they are caused by the //gangwasi. Their African neighbors have a different thought, which is the belief of illnesses being caused consciously orunconsciously by another person by magical means. This is what they call sorcery.

Again, Western civilizations cure their patients by treatments, antibiotics, surgery. The Ju by doing their...