Portals of Power: Shamanism in South America
The Latin American Anthropology Review March 1, 1994 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1525/jlca.1994.6.1.47.1
Summary
This edited volume examines shamanism in South America, presenting case studies and theoretical perspectives on how shamans serve as mediators between human and spirit worlds, and how their practices intersect with power, politics, and social structures. The chapters explore diverse indigenous traditions, analyzing shamanic rituals, healing, and cosmology across different regions. The collection argues that shamanism is not a static relic but a dynamic, adaptive system that continues to shape indigenous identities and responses to colonial and modern pressures.
Study at a glance
| Design | edited volume |
|---|---|
| Population | South American indigenous peoples and their shamanic traditions |
| Key finding | Shamanism in South America is a dynamic, adaptive system that mediates power and identity, responding to historical and contemporary pressures. |
Abstract
Portals of Power: Shamanism in South America. E. Jean Matteson Langdon and Gerhard Baer, editors. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1992. vii + 350 pp., figures, bibliography, index. $35.00 (cloth). ISBN 0–8263–1345–0.