Canela Shamanism: Shamans’ Accounts, “Journeying,” and Delimitation of Shamanic Terms

Summary

The article shares narratives from various shamans encountered during decades of fieldwork among the Ramkokamekra-Canela people in Brazil, exploring key questions about the nature of shamanism. It examines who qualifies as a shaman, how shamanism can be defined, and whether it is a process or a belief system. The article also considers the presence of altered states of consciousness in Canela shamanism and the practices that may induce these states, but does not address the efficacy of shamanism.

Study at a glance

Abstract

In this article I recount the stories of various shamans I have worked with throughout many decades of fieldwork among the Ramkokamekra-Canela (Eastern Timbira) of central Maranhão state, Brazil. Along with their narratives, I provide ethnographic context in order to address the following questions: (1) Who is a shaman? (2) What is shamanism? Is shamanism better understood (3) as a process or a method that is carried out to achieve certain ends, or is it better understood (4) as a particular set of beliefs associated with particular cultures? Additionally, (5) are altered or shamanic states of consciousness found in Canela shamanism, and (6) are they brought about by certain practices? I do not attempt to answer questions regarding shamanism’s efficacy, that is, how/whether it works.