I Am Tsunki: Gender and Shamanism among the Shuar of Western Amazonia

Among the Shuar of western Amazonia, the role of the shaman, called Tsunki, is not restricted to men; women can also become shamans. This ethnography describes how Shuar women access shamanic power and knowledge, challenging Western assumptions that equate shamanism primarily with masculinity. The author argues that gender is fluid in Shuar shamanic practice, with female shamans gaining prestige and authority through their spiritual work. The book provides an account of Shuar cosmology, the process of becoming a shaman, and the social and political dimensions of shamanic power, emphasizing that both men and women can embody Tsunki.

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Abstract

I Am Tsunki: Gender and Shamanism among the Shuar of Western Amazonia. Marie Perruchon, Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, Uppsala Studies in Cultural Anthropology 33, 2003. 402 pp.