María Sabina, femme de savoir mazatèque ou chamane des étrangers ?
Cahiers des Amériques Latines March 5, 2025 Magali Demanget
In highland Oaxaca, Mexico, Mazatec people have reappropriated elements of shamanism that Westerners first publicized after a major tourist event. The figure of the shaman Maria Sabina has become an emblem of Mazatec identity, serving as a symbolic boundary between groups. This emblem reveals how local actors perceive their relationships with outsiders, including tourists and the state. Behind performances staged for external audiences, the diverse Mazatec society holds varied conceptions of the late wise woman who became a shaman for foreigners.