James Etcitty on becoming a medicine man

James Etcitty travels across the country to lead ceremonies in the tradition of the Native American Church. He offers healing and strength in currents that have flowed through his own family.

James Etcitty: I was born in 1957. The same way, you know … (like Mary said), back then it was wagons and horses. I remember that. My dad would take me to school in and the wagon. 

But then I didn't know what, when I went to school on the first day, I didn't know what the spoon and what fork and everything, the plate, was ... Back home, the food was … the same we would always eat with family back then.

So that’s how … we had to learn and to start. They just took us, you know, like that. As soon as you get to school, they shave your hair. It was like going (to be) a veteran in an army. (laughs) [28:15]

I went to boarding school. Yeah, up to eighth grade. They would really abuse us too. Yeah. t was like the military. They chased us around. But today, you know, I think back, it was good for me, what I learned over there. I went through it … I think back. 

I became … I remember that my mom and my dad used to go to ceremonies. [29:00] Back then, we had Tipi ceremonies. I was a baby, three years old, maybe. I just slept in the back. That's how I became … being around these ceremonies. I really liked it. 

I started off as a young man then, (going to the) peyote ceremonies. I remember they prayed for me and they prayed for my brothers and sisters, my dad used to say that. 

I was just listening, and that's how I began to learn. As I was growing up, in high school, I started working the fire in the ceremonies. I would begin to talk. People would talk, and I would begin to raise my hand and introduce myself. 

I never knew I was going to be a roadman. One day, I called my brother and he said, "I need help. I’m getting old. I raised my hand and said, ‘I'll help you.’" 

I guess it was a lot. I was getting myself into a lot of problems, a lot of trouble. (laughter) I started off, you know, in my first ceremony, as a young man. I began to learn the songs and prayer and how people are doing, how to pray for them and how to hear them, and how to try to help them about it. 

I don't know how many years ago that was, maybe 40, 50 years ago. It’s a long time I’ve been a medicine man. 




... We started coming around over here a long time ago. The pictures over here, that's in Pittsfield, Lanesborough, Lee, Dalton, that way. Up to Maine, we did a lot of ceremonies in Maine, [34:00] and in the Vermont area. 

... There's one lady, we call her our daughter. She's from the town over there. Her name was Mary, and she had cancer. She's cancer free. And another one over here in the New York area, too. We helped her out back then, too. 

And we went all over — LA, that way too, California. We went to Vancouver, Canada, South Dakota, Texas, and everywhere, the ceremony takes us. It takes us everywhere. 

So we went through a lot. Yeah, we’ve been through a lot, back home. I used to bring in, haul in the wood, but lately my back is kind of giving out. I think I can still do it. I still go in there. (laughing). I have a hard time sometimes.

My grandson comes around, helps me out. Then he comes in the ceremonies too. There's the songs and the prayers, and then there’s the medicines. 

Gwendolyn: Mm-hmm. 

(laughing)

James: I take him along to drum for me. Sing with him. It's very special. Special to me. We took care of him when he was a baby. His dad said, "he's not my baby" and just left for South Dakota. [36:30]

His mom started drinking. He was all alone. We said, "We're going to take care of that baby." And he’s 10 years old now. He's (learned to be) tough, be strong. To be a bull rider. You’ve got to be tough (laughing) He’ll dress up like a western … big bronco rider. He practices on a barrel. We just take care of him that way. Every day.

We meet  him on the road, no matter what, snow, rain, shine, and bring him back. Pretty soon he’s going to probably walk home on his own, but we still have coyotes and wolves out there. They’re coming back. And cougars are coming back. These animals …

Well, I'm glad to be here. 

Gwendolyn: Thank you. 

James: Like I said, I pray every day at ceremonies. (38:00) Sometimes I may I overdo it. There may be a lesson … [laughter] You asked me to come to a ceremony again tonight, an all nighter. 

Gwendolyn: Oh my gosh. 

James: Tomorrow I'll rest a little bit and go home Sunday early. I'll talk like that for children what are having a birthday ceremony tonight. We'll see how I feel. So you know, all night is hard for me sometimes. 

James and Mary have been coming to the Berkshires for a long time for a long time, he says. used to live in Lenox, and they have traveled through the Northeast and up and down the coast, as well as across the country.

Kate: So you have been coming to the Berkshires for a long time?

James: We used to live in Lenox too, awhile back.(laughing)  And like I said, Maine, Vermont, I know all these places here, around this area, Stockbridge and Lee. Small towns. (52:00) I had a car too. These days there are so many cars here, everywhere. I met a lot of people. 

Back then, there was only a few people. When we first came to these ceremonies, there was only maybe about twelve of us. 

Mary: It was back in 2002? 

James: After 9/11, they wanted me to go over there, and I did prayer for them. Then back and over here and continue to pray. To make this grow, I tell them, the ceremony's going to grow. 

Now it's like everywhere we go for the ceremony, there are 50 people in the room. (53:00) So it has really grow. There are tipi grounds everywhere these days. When I used to come up this way, I might get a little, and now a lot of people come. Different nationalities.

Gwendolyn and voices around the table: Yeah. 

James: You want to see this medicine. You want to experience this. They really like it, because we talk like this. It's the way of life we supposed to live like this. Take care of yourself. Take care of your family. Don't do drugs, don't do that. Those things are not good for you. That's all we teach. That's what everyone would say. 

Mary: But, you know, back home, we have our door open to anyone, you know. That's how … We get criticized for that, because back home, on thereservation, and I'm sure other reservations are like that, Some of them, they're very strict about having other nationalities coming in, because they're saying that it's not for them — it's supposed to be just for Natives. That's what they say. 

So on our Navajo Nation, there's laws, bylaws, in using the ceremony, using this medicine, peyote, this divine medicine. So they put a lot of laws in place, we supposed to have membership to use this medicine. Even for the medicine, they supposed to have a certificate to conduct these ceremonies and the tipi ceremonial. 

They say that, but we say that, "Well, you know what? These people, they help us. (55:00) They come a long way to help us. And we tell them, "you're just living next door, and you don't come help us. You don't visit." We tell them that. So it should be for everybody, if someone believes in it. If someone has faith in it. 

So we get a lot of other nationalities come to our home and ask for a prayer, and we do a ceremony for them. And we have door open for them, because they need help. And because then they can help somebody. 

So even up here, there's a lot of ceremonies taking place here and there, up here is like that. And now they're just beginning to be either in other nationalities, taking roads as a medicine man, up here. It's like that now. So there's a lot of them. But before, there were none. I guess we opened the door for a lot of other nationalities. We opened the door. People from all walks of life —they used this medicine and it helped them. 

So that's how it is at home. (56:30) We have to follow the rules — but we don't follow the rules. (laughter) 

James: I was the vice president of the NAC, Native American Church. (They would say) well, if you were selected as a road man — the elders — if we're seeing this person anywhere doing something, that's where we get approved, a stamped certificate. Yeah, I was the vice president for maybe … two weeks. (laughter) I was talking about all nationalities. (everyone laughing) 

(They were saying) You don't want anybody like white people coming in. 

“No, no, no,” I said, “I want them to come up.” 

So they fired me right then. I walked out. I cared about that. Because those are my relatives. People of all nationalities. 

Mary: So we stand up for you people. 

Gwendolyn: Thank you. 

James: Uh huh, we stood up for you. 

Gwendolyn: Thank you. (laughing) Two weeks. 

James: I wonder (58:00) … I wonder if I got sick because of all the jealousy that goes on. Maybe. 

Voices around the table: Yeah. 

James: Well I'm okay, I guess. I can drive ... I can feel stronger every day. was getting tired and I can get stronger. I can drum for my grandson or whatever it would be. The second summer, I couldn't drum. I'd get tired. But now I go all the way. ...

Gwendolyn: ... Do you think we can close out? Are you guys willing to close us out with a blessing? 

(voices softly responding and laughing) 

(gently) No. - Okay. - Okay. - Okay. - Thank you. - You're (talking with) the spirit. - Thank you. 

Their grandson prays quietly, murmuring, and they says: Amen 

Gwendolyn and voices around the table: Thank you. Thank you. 

James: Somebody was praying like that, saying the prayer but not loud, like that, and someone said ‘can you speak up?’ And they said ‘No I'm not talking to you, I'm not talking to you. I’m talking to the spirit …

(Laughter moves around the table.) 

Gwendolyn and voices around the able: Thank you. (Laughter swells like a current around the room.)