How did Plateau shamans heal people according to traditional beliefs?

According to traditional beliefs among the Plateau Indians, shamans served as vital healers who derived their authority from individual communion with the spirit world.1

They primarily cured diseases by extracting a harmful spirit or a foreign object that had entered the patient’s body. In addition to these methods, shamans on the northern Plateau were believed to possess the ability to retrieve souls that had been stolen by the dead. To demonstrate their power and validate their work, they often publicized these healing feats through dramatic pantomimes. Because their roles involved both healing the living and interacting with the spirit realm, shamans were typically held in high regard, often becoming wealthy and respected figures within their communities.1