Encyclopedia of Native American shamanism

Encyclopedia of Native American Shamanism: Sacred Ceremonies of North America is an authoritative account of the various shamanic powers that have been observed among the Native Americans of North America since the sixteenth century. Surveying aspects of Native American sacred ceremonies in Canada and all 50 of the United Sates, this book focuses on "medicine" ceremonies in which the power of the Creator is manifested for all to behold. Such ceremonies might be as simple as uttering a short prayer before undertaking a certain act, or they might involve the performance of a four-day prescribed ritual. The A-to-Z entries include the names and results of various medicine ceremonies, shamans who are acclaimed for their medicinal powers, and the techniques shamans use to acquire and control the powers needed to perform sacred ceremonies. In addition, readers will find explanations of the terminology anthropologists use to describe these ceremonies, symbolic motifs that recur cross-culturally in sacred ceremonies, plants and sacred paraphernalia associated with ceremonies, and recurring structural themes. This book will be valuable to students of anthropology, Native American studies, religious studies, psychology, and sociology. It will also appeal to readers interested in the magical or supernatural aspects of Native American cultures and the New Age movement.