Healing the Warrior’s Heart

Healing the Warrior’s Heart is a production of the Western Folklife Center in collaboration with Gary Robinson of Tribal Eye Productions, and KUED Channel 7, Salt Lake City’s PBS affiliate. The documentary sheds new light on an affliction as old as war itself: something we now call Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.

Healing the Warrior’s Heart examines the emotional trauma of war through the prism of Native American tradition and ceremony. The program reveals the central role that military service plays in Native life and explores the spiritual traditions that help returning American Indian soldiers reintegrate into society. For centuries tribal cultures have used healing songs and ceremonies to cleanse their warriors of war, and despite the loss of language and culture among many tribes, these traditions remain vital on several reservations in the West.

And they hold lessons for our nation as it struggles to bring comfort to the latest generation of warriors suffering from PTSD. Despite great efforts by medical and military professionals to treat PTSD many veterans continue to suffer from it, and there is a small but growing community of psychologists, counselors and clergy who are looking toward Native American traditions to bring healing to our suffering soldiers.

Watch the trailer below:

For more information and to learn how you can help fund the project, please visit Western Folklife Center.

Last Updated on January 15, 2024 by Paul G