SHAMANISM AND INDIGENOUS YOUTHHOOD IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON
Amazônica - Revista de Antropologia April 6, 2016 DOI: 10.18542/amazonica.v1i1.146 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Young Manchineri Indians in the indigenous reserve and urban areas of Acre, Brazil |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca ceremonies |
| Duration | 2005 to 2007 (fieldwork period) |
| Topics | Ayahuasca Shamanism |
| Keywords | Amazon rainforest Indigenous Ethnography Personhood Agency philosophy Ethnology Capital architecture Anthropology Gender studies Social science Ecology Archaeology Law |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key findings | Shamanic practices among young Manchineri produce symbolic, cultural, social, and ethnic capital, enabling them to actively shape their agency and personhood. |
Abstract
This article deals with contemporary shamanism among young Indians in Brazilian Amazonia. It explores the meaning of shamanic practices for today’s Amazonian young Indians. The article focuses on the ayahuasca ceremonies practiced by young Manchineri living in both the indigenous reserve and urban areas in the State of Acre, Brazil. Ethnographic fieldwork was carried out between 2005 and 2007. Shamanic practices produce symbolic capital that may credit in one’s own native community and in interethnic relations. The spiritual and traditional knowledge, trust, values, and instructions on life generate cultural capital, social capital, as well as ethnic capital. Through shamanism young people have an active role in the construction of their agency and personhood, as it also is about youth’s own decision to interact with the spirits and other humans. Shamanic practices have marked a turning point in the lives of many native young people. Keywords: Shamanism, ayahuasca, Manchineri