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stances of particular problems, types of illnesses, formulas, sources of medication, and affiliated practitioners. |
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The consultant is also aided in his or her work by the high god, Kuiye, and the earth deity, Butan, who are said to provide insight in the course of the consultation process. Accordingly, each consultant begins with an acknowledging gesture in the direction of the sun and the earth: one consultant noted at this time, "The consultants are not the ones who show what the problem is. God (Kuiye) is the one who does it. That is why during consultation we move the stick down towards the earth and then up in the direction of the sun. It is God who comes down to stay on the stick" (2:46). Another consultant began the session with "It is God that is in front of you and you follow. It is not you that provides the answers" (10:271). Reinforcing the importance of Kuiye in the consultation process is the tradition that all consultations must take place during daylight hours. Should a consultation last too long, the consultant will warn the adviser to "hurry up, the sun is ready to set" (4:81). |
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Each consultant also is aided by his or her sponsoring deceased family elders, particularly those who were consultants in their own lives. Their importance was noted frequently: "It is the deceased elder who allows the consultant to be able to indicate the response" (6:84); "it is both the deceased elder and God that gives one the ability to conduct consultations" (11:5045); "a person gets the ability to consult from his deceased elders" (11:237). |
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Evaluating the Consultation Information |
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Despite the importance of these outside sources, the information that is given out by the consultant must be continually verified. Most family advisers thus will go to several consultants to reaffirm the advice that has been provided. This is particularly true in cases of serious problems or in cases which have multiple symptoms. "If I consult with someone from my own community, I will not be convinced," one person said. "I need to go to other communities to corroborate the consultants' advice" (1:72). Others shared these concerns: "I had to see many consultants before believing that this was the right combination" (4:159). Or, ''When one needs to consult one does not stay in one place" (6:226). Thus the consultants' advice must be checked against that of other consultants, preferably with consultants from other communities. If the advice of one conflicts with that received from others, then the advice is considered probably to be erroneous and is not used. |
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Several methods are also employed during the course of a particular consultation to judge the efficacy of the advice being given. First, the family adviser comes into the consultation with certain knowledge about the problem, its history, and its potential causes. He in turn will ask the consultant details about the problem, such as who is sick and what the problem is. If the consultant does not answer correctly or if the solutions are not in line with the background that the family |
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