Four Sami healers: A preliminary interview study

Abstract

The belief and practice of four healers in the Sami (Lappish) area in Northern Norway are described, on the basis of interviews with the healers and some of their patients. Three of the healers based their practice on Christianity, and the fourth on elements from the pre-Christian Sami religion. The importance of a healing system operating in concordance with the language, traditions, and beliefs of a supressed minority, as an alternative to the medical system of the dominant majority group, is emphasized. This study is part of a research about the health care offered to Sami patients by medical and psychiatric professionals and by healers.