Amazônica - Revista de Antropologia
April 6, 2016
Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen
8 citations
Shamanic practices, particularly ayahuasca ceremonies, help young Manchineri Indians in the Brazilian Amazon build symbolic, cultural, social, and ethnic capital within their native communities and in interethnic relations. Based on ethnographic fieldwork from 2005 to 2007, the article shows that through shamanism, young people actively construct their agency and personhood, making their own decisions to interact with spirits and other humans. These practices have marked a turning point in the lives of many native young people.
Oxford University Press eBooks
June 18, 2014
Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen
6 citations
In western Brazil, indigenous people organize ritual spaces of ayahuasca shamanism to share with both indigenous and non-indigenous participants, typically during political meetings, training courses, and cultural festivals. These gatherings enable participants to identify collaborators, exchange substances, and share knowledge. Through ayahuasca shamanism, indigenous professionals and leaders communicate information about their history, ancestors, and nonhuman beings in their sociocosmos. Even those with few shamanic skills are invited across state borders and to foreign countries, especially by non-Indians interested in indigenous spiritualism. This involvement of economic resources makes it a sensitive issue for indigenous communities. While shared shamanism brings visibility for Amazonian ways of knowing, the "horizontal openings" remain controlled within communities.
April 8, 2016
Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen
5 citations
Among young Manchineri Indians in Brazilian Amazonia, collective shamanic rituals involving ayahuasca create and sustain social networks and trusting relationships. For individuals aged 14 to 24, these practices link the making of the sacred, morality, and social and cultural differentiation. Shamanism produces personal relationships and relatedness not only within a person's native community and its spirit world but also with representatives from other native groups and non-native participants.
April 8, 2016
Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen
1 citation
Among Manchineri youth aged 14–24 in the Brazilian Amazon, collective shamanic rituals involving ayahuasca help create and sustain social networks and trusting relationships. These practices link the making of the sacred, morality, and social and cultural differentiation. Shamanism generates personal connections not only within an individual's community and its spirit world but also with members of other indigenous groups and non-native participants.