Final answer:
Medicine men, or shamans, played a significant role in indigenous societies. They served as religious specialists who communicated with deities or supernatural forces to address specific needs. Shamans had the ability to transcend normal reality and use their powers to locate lost individuals, heal the sick, and identify spiritual causes of illness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The role of medicine men, also known as shamans, was significant in many indigenous societies. They served as part-time religious specialists who worked with clients to address specific needs by contacting deities or supernatural forces directly. Shamans played various roles including intuition in locating wild animals for hunting, healing practices, and addressing sources of physical and social illness. They had the ability to transcend normal reality to communicate with and manipulate supernatural forces, which allowed them to locate lost people or animals and identify spiritual causes of illness.