Medicine trails
a life in many worlds
By Mavis McCovey
In the misty forests of Northern California's Humboldt County, a remarkable spiritual journey began when a Karuk medicine woman received a powerful vision in 1933. That vision would shape the destiny of Mavis McCovey, who was born later that year and carefully prepared from childhood to carry forward ancient healing traditions.
McCovey offers readers an intimate window into a world few outsiders ever glimpse. Her personal narrative reveals the complex reality of living between cultures, navigating both Native American and contemporary American society while fulfilling her calling as a spiritual healer. Through her eyes, we discover what it means to walk between ordinary consciousness and visionary realms, where medicine women serve as bridges between worlds.
Her responsibilities extend far beyond traditional healing. McCovey describes her journeys to "the other side," where she retrieves lost souls of medicine men who have become stranded in spiritual dimensions. These accounts provide rare insight into indigenous practices that have sustained communities for generations.
As one of the few first-person narratives by a Native American healer, this book illuminates not only McCovey's personal transformation but also the rich cultural heritage of the Karuk, Yurok, and Hupa peoples. Her warm storytelling weaves together family history, tribal traditions, and the ongoing challenges of preserving sacred knowledge in the modern world.
For those seeking to understand authentic spiritual practice and indigenous wisdom, McCovey serves as both teacher and companion on paths rarely documented.
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Women in medicine
- ✓ Explore Indians of north america, history
- ✓ Explore Karok Indians
- ✓ Explore Indian women healers
- ✓ Explore Social life and customs
- ✓ Explore Karok women
- ✓ Explore California, biography
- ✓ Explore Shamans
Topics
Details
- Published
- 2009
- Publisher
- Heyday Books
- ISBN-13
- 9781597141178
- ISBN-10
- 1597141178
- Pages
- 343
- Language
- EN
- LC Classification
- E99.K25 M33 2009
