Prayer with pain: Ceremonial suffering among the Mi'kmaq

This is the author's peer-reviewed, pre-copyedited version and made available with the permission of the State University of New York Press. The final published version is available at http://www.sunypress.edu/p-5807-indigenous-bodies.aspxThere are many ways to pray amongst Native American and First Nations, but considered the most ‘powerful’ are those that involve an element of physical suffering that can be regarded as gifts to ‘spirit’ and understood in the context that when something is asked for – visions, healing, etc. – then something must be given in exchange in order to restore the balance and promote respectful relationships. Prayer with pain in a ceremonial context, linking the individual to community, transforms personal suffering into empowerment gained through a shared healing experience