How the Kickapoo Indian Medicine Company Had Nothing to Do With 'American Indians' or 'Medicine'

Criminalia

Shondaland Audio and iHeartPodcasts

True Crime, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 30 April 2024

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

John Healy wasn’t a real doctor. Charles Bigelow was never a scout in the United States Army. And, the products they sold weren’t actually based on healing secrets of the Kickapoo people. Yet, the two men made a fortune from their Kickapoo Indian Medicine Company patent medicines – which, while named for them, not a single Kickapoo was involved with the company or its remedies. The story of Healy and Bigelow is one of quackery, lies, native cultural appropriation, and ... wait, did we call out the cultural appropriation? Yes? Well, then, let's talk about this.

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0:00.0	Summon your
0:05.0	season of Bridgerton, the official podcast. I'm your host Gabby Collins.
0:06.8	This season, we are bringing fans even deeper into the ton.
0:10.0	I sit down with Nicola Cocklin, Luke Newton, Shonda Rhymes, and more watch season 3 of the
0:15.8	Shandaland series on Netflix, May 16.
0:18.5	Then, fall in love all over again by listening to Bridgerton, the official podcast on the I Heart Radio
0:24.1	app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop starting May 2nd.
0:30.3	Welcome to Criminalia, a production of Shandaland Audio in partnership with I-Heart Radio.
0:37.0	John Healy was not a real doctor.
0:45.0	Charles Bigelow was never a scout in the United States Army,
0:51.0	and the products they sold weren't actually based on healing secrets of
0:55.3	the Kickapoo people. Yet, the two men made a fortune from their Kickapoo Indian
1:00.9	Medicine Company patent medicines which, while named for them, not a single
1:06.2	Kickapoo was even vaguely involved with the company and its remedies.
1:12.4	The story of Helium Bigelow is one of quackery, lies, cultural appropriation, and wait,
1:19.8	did we call out the cultural appropriation? Yes?
1:22.8	Okay.
1:24.7	We should also point out that while inclusive language
1:27.3	continues to evolve, we will be quoting excerpts
1:30.5	that contain outdated terminology.
1:33.8	So here we go.
1:35.0	Welcome to Criminilia.
	...

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