shamanism

Examples of shamanism in the following topics:

• Southwestern Culture

  • Many of the tribes that made up the Southwest Culture practiced animism and shamanism.
  • Shamanism encompasses the premise that shamans are intermediaries or messengers between the human world and the spirit worlds.
  • Although at present there are a variety of contemporary cultural traditions that exist in the greater Southwest, many of these traditions still incorporate similar religious aspects that are found in animism and shamanism.

• Woodland Burial Mounds and Chiefdoms

  • Many works of art seemed to revolve around shamanic practices and the transformation of humans into animals -- particularly birds, wolves, bears, and deer.

• Conclusion: Pre-Colonial Development of North America

  • Many tribes practiced animism and shamanism.

• Meso-American Culture

  • Shamans also acted as early intercessors between humanity and the supernatural.

• Eastern Woodland Culture

  • Many works of art revolved around shamanic practices and the transformation of humans into animals, especially birds, wolves, bears, and deer, indicating a belief that objects depicting certain animals could impart those animals’ qualities to the wearer or holder.