Shamans Spirituality And Cultural Revitalization

Many voices clamor to be heard in debates about whether shamans cure, and whether shamanic spirituality is worth continuing or recovering in the 21rst century. This book represents my personal and analytical forays into shamanic studies, based on extensive, periodic fieldwork in several areas of Siberia and Inner Asia, beginning in 1976 in the Ob River (Khanty-Mansi) Region, sustained by long-term research in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), and including trips to Tuva (Tyva) and Buriatia of the Russian Federation.

It is historical and current, ethnographic and reflexive, geographically specific and theoretical when appropriate. New insights into the fascinating resurgence of shamanism are gained through exploration of political repression of religion and its transcendence. Literature representing eclectic claims to expertise is reviewed and interpreted in light of Siberian experiences.

Review: Balzer, one of the first western-trained scholars to undertake ethnographic fieldwork in Siberia, is uniquely positioned to write this book. Here she argues that far from fading away, shamanism is being revitalized in Central and Far Eastern Russia following the dissolution of the former Soviet Union.

One of the many strengths of this volume is the elegant way she positions her analysis in both Russian and Euro-American anthropological theories. --Julie Cruikshank, Professor Emerita of Anthropology, University of British Columbia A remarkably sensitive collection of essays spanning three decades of research.

The breadth and depth of shamanic practice from across the north Asian landscape comes into vivid focus. --Bruce Grant, Associate Professor of Anthropology, New York University