counselors of the chiefs and head-men of the tribes, and had
great influence and control over the people. They claimed to be
spiritual mediums, and to have communication with the departed
spirits of some of their old and most revered chieftains and dear
friends, now in a much more happy condition than when here in
earthly life. They were thought to be endowed with supernatural
powers, not only in curing all diseases (except those due to old
age), but also in making a well person sick at their pleasure,
even at a distance; but when their sorcery failed to work on
their white enemies and exterminate them, they lost the
confidence of their followers to a large extent.

With the invasion of the white settlers came forced changes in
their old customs and manner of living, and a new variety of
epidemic and other diseases. When a doctor failed to cure these
diseases, and several deaths occurred in quick succession in a
camp, they believed the doctor was under the control of some evil
spirit, and killed him.

After the Indians were given their freedom from the reservations
in 1855, the old ones, subdued and broken-hearted, sickened and
died very fast, and most of the men doctors were killed off in a
few years. There are none known who now attempt to act in that
capacity.

There are still some women doctors who continue to practice the
magic art, but as there are now but very few Indians, there is
not so much sickness, and very few deaths in a year, so that the
doctors very rarely forfeit their lives by many of their patients
dying in quick succession.