(Neo)Shamanic Dialogues
Nova Religio The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions – April 13, 2012
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Ayahuasca has been ritualistically integrated into the practices of a Guarani Indian village in Santa Catarina, Brazil, showcasing a unique cultural appropriation involving various stakeholders. This network includes Guarani leaders, members of the Sacred Fire of Itzachilatlan, and practitioners from the Santo Daime religion. The study highlights that shamanism today is shaped by specific political and historical contexts, emphasizing its dialogical nature as a category formed through interactions among diverse actors, reflecting broader sociological and anthropological insights.
Abstract
This paper is a reflection on the ritual incorporation of ayahuasca, an Amazonian psychoactive ritual substance, by members of a Guarani Indian village on the Atlantic coast of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Their shamanic leaders have adapted the use of this beverage into their ritual practices and recognize it as part of their culture and tradition. This process of appropriation is a result of the formation of a network that involves various actors, among them the Guarani Indians, members of Sacred Fire of Itzachilatlan, followers of the Brazilian ayahuasca religion Santo Daime, and a health team employed to provide primary attention to Indian communities. Based on this case study, we demonstrate that shamanisms today emerge out of specific political and historic contexts. If the concept of shamanism is useful as an analytical paradigm, it must be thought of as a dialogical category constructed through interaction between actors with diverse origins, discourses, and interests.