Palliative Care Among Chumash People

Chumash Healers used breathing therapy and counseling to keep patients involved in daily life and to avoid depression. Heat therapy, massage and pain medications were used to help with pain. Another primary function of the Healer was to help the patient sleep as normally as possible, possibly using mugwort or momoy. Nutrition was considered by Healers in treating their patients. The overall concern of the Healer was to help maintain the daily routine of village life during the normal process of the death of a village member.