In Tuva, South Siberia, people often blame misfortune on magical assault and vampirism. Based on fieldwork with an Association of Shamans, this article examines rituals that redress curse afflictions under Russian political domination. It argues that parasitical worship and occult threats are central to political power in Tuva and beyond. Shamanic healing symbols draw on hunting and animal spirits from Indigenous Siberian cosmologies, with healing efficacy built through engagement with these symbols. Ritual risk underpins symbolic resolution. While shamans give refuge to displaced spirits, Tibetan Buddhism offers an alternative healing path. The analysis reveals indigenous perceptions of a cursed landscape where darkness and political sponsors are confronted by Buddhist rituals, highlighting the unresolved drama of itinerant spirits and shamanic ancestral souls.
In Tuva Republic, South Siberia, accusations of magical assault and vampirism commonly explain misfortune. Based on fieldwork in an Association of Shamans, this article examines countercursing rituals against antagonists under Russian political domination. It argues that shamanic healing gains efficacy by appropriating hunting symbols and animal spirits from Indigenous Siberian cosmologies. The analysis shows that playing with risk during countercursing structures symbolic resolution. The article concludes that indigenous perceptions of a cursed landscape become a field where agencies of darkness—and their political sponsors—are confronted by an emancipating Buddhist religious mindset.