Ghost Sickness

Paper Summary:

An examination of the cultural context in which Ghost Sickness takes place today and explains that it has deep historical roots in the history of indigenous Indians. Many of these groups perceived themselves as living in a universe pervaded by powerful, mysterious spiritual beings and forces that underlay and supported human life. In order to survive, this paper explains that they believed it was necessary to acknowledge these spiritual powers in all aspects of their lives, but there were also spiritual beings to be avoided. Native Americans of the Southwest, in particular, such as the Navajo and Apache, dreaded contact with ghosts, who were thought to resent the living.

From the Paper:

"Some American Indians believe that Ghost Sickness can be caught from either the dead, the sight of the corpse or their possessions (Apache). Therefore, groups such as the Apaches buried their dead on the same day as they died. They also tried to reduce to a minimum the amount of time the living spent in contact with the dead. Some belongings were placed with the body and usually the dead person's favorite horse was killed at the grave site. The rest of their possessions were then burned and the family moved their house to a new site. The relatives never went near the grave and to mention the name of the dead was strictly forbidden."

More papers on Ghost Sickness:

• Research Paper # 74839 : "Ghost Dance and Wounded Knee"
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• Term Paper # 96930 : "Christianity"

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