Navajo medicine man Albert Laughter ancient ways go around the world

Courtesy/Walter T. Cody, Bob Stump VA Medical Center Arlene Gregorius, British Broadcasting Corporation producer, records Albert Laughter, Navajo medicine man, for an upcoming documentary on the integration of traditional American Indian ceremonies into the Bob Stump VA Medical Center’s mental health program for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ancient ways go around the world
By Derek Meurer, The Daily Courier

Monday, December 17, 2007

PRESCOTT - To Navajo medicine man Albert Laughter post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a curse.

Standing before a roaring fire, with an eagle feather, a bamboo flute, clay pipes and herbs in hand, Laughter uses lore handed down from generation to generation to remove the curse war leaves in the mind.

"When we leave the land and ways we know to take up a rifle and kill, we are cursed. We use tradition to remove that curse," said Laughter. "The ceremony for veterans with PTSD usually takes three days, sometimes longer; there's so much mental anguish and anger to deal with."

Laughter works with the Bob Stump VA Medical Center's mental health department, where he incorporates traditional American Indian ceremonies into the treatment of mental disorders. He comes from five generations of medicine men, dating back to the time of the Trail of Tears.

After fighting for the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, Laughter dealt with his own PTSD experiences.

"The curse comes mostly at night, when they're isolated, when it's quiet," said Laughter. "It seems like someone's touching you, like someone's watching you, like you're back in the jungle, and the enemy is all around you."

Laughter said the ceremony translates to "Beautiful Way," a process of cleansing the lingering spirits of war and helping a soul reintegrate into a peaceful life.

"We say to the earth: 'I'm your child, I want to be reborn, to be cleansed,'" said Laughter. "We rid ourselves of those burdens the war placed on our hearts, and are welcomed back to the earth, the fire, the songs, and to family."