Exploring Female Traditional Healers Perspectives:Listening to their Stories about their Healing Practices in US African Diaspora Communities

Background:  African traditional medicine and practices represents a collective holistic approach to health and healthcare delivery. Despite centuries of successful usage, acceptability and cultural adoption of these remedies in sub-Saharan Africa, these forms of medical practices are implemented parallel to existing biomedical healthcare systems. Women healers are the fulcrum of most African healing practices and systems. As African immigrants immigrate to the US, it is critical to understand their belief systems of health and illness and how these cultural values are related to health and disease, health seeking behaviors and adherence to treatment regimens for common ailments.  

Purpose:The primary purpose of this study was to explore the practices and rituals of female traditional healers and their perspectives on health and illness/disease in the African diaspora. A secondary purpose was to explore how these practices intercept with US biomedical system.  

Methods: Eight community traditional healers participated in qualitative in-depth interviews about their experiences of being healers. These are individuals that practice in an array of areas (herbalist, spiritualist, ethno-botany). A participatory oral documentation process was employed to collect historical accounts of their practices. Areas explored in this study were: knowledge of their practice and how it is transmitted; roles in African Diaspora communities; maintenance of practice, and transference of knowledge/practice to younger generations. 

Results: Participants were viewed by their communities as sacred, strong, positive and equally powerful as men.  All participants have been practicing African traditional healing practices for several decades and in some cases when they were adolescents in their home countries. Participants in this study used an array of healing approaches such as: herbal medicine, ritual healing, prayer, water, energy/rhythmic utterance, touch, dance, fire, etc. Their knowledge and skills used in practicing African healing and rituals were handed down in many cases through ancestral connections by revere adult family member who identified them as the ones to carry on the family tradition and legacy of healing. These female healers were regarded by their communities in many instances as first line conduits where families of African immigrants (especially female parents) would call on to seek an advice on how to handle a condition impacting a family member including their children.

Conclusions: The values of African healing practices is underappreciated and not integrated in the biomedical system. As Africans immigrate to the US, they do not leave their cultures and beliefs about health and illness behind. With increased prevalence of chronic conditions emerging among African immigrants after immigrating to the US, it is important for healthcare providers and public health officials to understand the belief systems of this sub-population. It is also critical for healthcare professionals to explore how both the African traditional healing systems and the biomedical systems could learn from each other in providing optimal healthcare to African immigrants. Thus, a logical first step is to explore who these traditional healers are; what are their roles in their communities and what kinds of approaches they used in providing services to their constituents.