Networks shamanic, charlatanism and interethnic processes: a comparative analysis

• Autor(a) principal: Jean Langdon, Esther
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Mediações - Revista de Ciências Sociais
• Texto Completo: https://ojs.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/mediacoes/article/view/2012.v17n1p63
• topic: Shamanism; Curanderismo; Sibundoy; Siona; Xamanismo; Curanderismo; Sibundoy; Siona

This article examines the historical, social and demographic factors that contributed to the changing roles of shamans among two indigenous groups of Colombia. The shamans of the Valley of Sibundoy strengthened their healing role during the 20TH century through articulation with popular medical practices known as curanderismo. However, during this same period, the Siona shamans, located in the Amazonian lowlands, lost their position as religious-political leaders and ceased to practice their rituals for two decades. Through this comparison, it is argued that shamanism should be seen as a constantly changing phenomenon that emerges out of the interplay of social, cultural, historical and demographic factors in specific situations. The role of the shaman is not a homogeneous phenomenon, but one that is in continuous construction depending upon social actors in particular contexts.