Question by ?krisha?: can someone please explain shamanism works with Tlingit culture?
i am a bit confused as this is my art homework and i cant find any information on this. can someone explain what it is, what it’s about exactly, and maybe just some information on it?
thanks. x
Best answer:
Answer by capitalgentleman
I do not know about Tlingit directly, but I know a shaman from a neighbouring people, so I am guessing it could be similar.
Basically, there is a spirit realm. Most traditional (and non-traditional) natives are believe this, but shamen are hyper-aware of the spirit realm. They can often communicate with spirits, especially those whom they knew in life, or relatives, mentors, etc. Most learn their craft from their mothers, or grandmothers (for women), and the teachings are carried in families, or clans. It often covers pretty mundane things, like knowing the plants that can be used for healing, and so on. This is more than like what is in a herb book (take this for that), but they will make complicated compounds of many plants, depending on what is wrong with the person. The medicines are also individual. The shaman will sit with you, and look at your skin, and your tongue, and so on, and listen to you. It takes a good while, often over a cup of tea, before the shaman will even do anything. Much is what what we might now call psychoanalysis. Healing is mental, physical, and for shamen, spiritual, and all must be involved, and all in balance.
If the one I know is not sure about a particular medicine, she will ask her grandmother, who trained her. The fact that her grandmother has been dead about 20 years is no barrier to questions!
Some shamen can do what we now call astral travelling. Some can come and visit you in dreams. This can bring peace, but for someone doing bad things, a visit from a shaman in a dream is not good! Some come in the guise of animals, so you will hear Spirit Walker, or Bear Walker, or things like that. Many fear this, but it takes a lot of effort to actually do much in a dream, although they can if they need to (if you believe this sort of thing!).
Shamen often are also the keepers of the oral history and traditions of the people. They can often speak several languages, theirs, and the ones of people around them. Sometimes neighbouring shamen will get together and share their knowledge. Oh, that is another thing – sharing the knowledge is key, and they are required to do it. Therefore, they are not supposed to be paid for what they do. The one I know refuses payment. If someone wants to gift her, say with some meat or something, she might accept, but there is no expectation of payments, and gifts make (or relieve) no obligations.
To keep this short: shamen are historians, speakers to others, healers, and teachers. They can do what we might call magic. However, there are very, very few real ones left. There are people doing parts of it, but true shamen are rare.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!