I Am Tsunki: Gender and Shamanism among the Shuar of Western Amazonia
Journal of Latin American Anthropology September 1, 2004 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1525/jlca.2004.9.2.489
Summary
This book examines the role of gender in shamanic practices among the Shuar people of the western Amazon. The author argues that shamanism is not exclusively male, as women can become shamans called Tsunki, and that gender dynamics are fluid and negotiated within Shuar society. The work draws on ethnographic fieldwork to describe how spiritual power and social status intersect with gender, challenging earlier assumptions about male dominance in Amazonian shamanism.
Study at a glance
| Design | ethnography |
|---|---|
| Population | Shuar people of western Amazonia |
| Key finding | Shamanism among the Shuar includes women as Tsunki, and gender roles in spiritual practice are more fluid than previously recognized. |
Abstract
I Am Tsunki: Gender and Shamanism among the Shuar of Western Amazonia. Marie Perruchon, Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, Uppsala Studies in Cultural Anthropology 33, 2003. 402 pp.