"Her eyes swept the surrounding hills and through them I saw for the first time the wild beauty of our hills and the magic of the green river. My nostrils quivered as I felt the song of the mockingbirds and the drone of the grasshoppers mingle with the pulse of the earth. the four directions of the llano met in me, and the white sun shone on my soul." - Rudolfo Anaya



People are of the earth, created of dirt, sun, air, and water. All to often, we think we own the earth and its elements, but in reality the earth owns us. As our fathers before us, and their fathers before them, we can use the stars to help guide us both metaphorically and literally. If we are of the earth, when we feel lost isn't it natural to find ourselves through nature?

Across all cultures, there are natural ways to heal. The chemical medicine used in our modern day society works, but it is not a method of healing used in our past.

Traditionally, native people of the America's (native american's and chicano's) used herbs and energy to offset physical or mental illness. Medicine men, curanderas, and even priests have been used for centuries to heal the soul and repel evil spirits that may cause harm to the body or mind. Such energy was used extremely cautiously, for native people understood the extreme power such medicine held.

"You must understand that when anybody, bruja or curandera, priest or sinner, tampers with the fate of a man that sometimes a chain of events is set into motion over which no one will have ultimate control. You must be willing to accept this responsibility." - (Bless Me, Ultima p. 85)

Although tampering with spiritual energy may have many consequences, there are many personal and safe ways one can heal one self. Introspective techniques are also ways one can heal themselves by connecting their mind and body with their surroundings. Characters in Sherman Alexie, Rudolfo Anaya, and Silko's stories show how they heal by reconnecting their identity with the land.