This book on Nanai shamanic culture is based on first-hand information provided by shamans and recorded in the years between 1980 and 2012, a time of rapid socio-cultural change in Russia. It sheds light on the lively indigenous discourse in which social factors such as the splitting of society into different paternal lineages relates to spiritual troubles that Nanai people experience as collective ‘shamanic disease.’ But inter-clan confrontations are not only mediated in shamanic rituals, as these must not be separated from folk narratives, dances and other forms of art. Furthermore, the book provides profound insights into the plurality of contradictory discourses on indigenous knowledge as well as those delivered in non-indigenous contexts. The latter arose or became more intense in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, and often led to experiments in new shamanic practices.

The Siberian World provides a window into the expansive and diverse world of Siberian society, offering valuable insights into how local populations view their environments, adapt to change, promote traditions, and maintain infrastructure. Siberian society comprises more than 30 Indigenous groups, old Russian settlers, and more recent newcomers and their descendants from all over the former Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. The chapters examine a variety of interconnected themes, including language revitalization, legal pluralism, ecology, trade, religion, climate change, and co-creation of practices and identities with state programs and policies. The book’s ethnographically rich contributions highlight Indigenous voices, important theoretical concepts, and practices. The material connects with wider discussions of perception of the environment, climate change, cultural and linguistic change, urbanization, Indigenous rights, Arctic politics, globalization, and sustainability/resilience. The Siberian World will be of interest to scholars from many disciplines, including Indigenous studies, anthropology, archaeology, geography, environmental history, political science, and sociology. Chapter 25 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Provides a clear and accessible guide to the many different North Asian shamanic traditions, past and present. What is shamanism? Where is it from? How does one become a shaman? What are the requirements to become one? Anthropologists tell us that the word shaman derives from the Tungus language and traditions, but few people understand the full scope of what that means. In his groundbreaking book, Spirit Voices, David Shi answers all these questions and more. Drawing upon his own ancestral traditions, Shi explores the history and practice of shamanism. He guides readers through what may be the unfamiliar landscapes of North Asia--the place where shamanism was born--as well as the largely hidden and unfamiliar traditions of Turkic, Mongolic, and Tungus shamanism, exploring the subtle and unique aspects of each tradition. Shi provides a clear and accessible guide that explores the many different North Asian shamanic traditions. So, what exactly is shamanism? David Shi suggests that the most accurate definition derives from shamanologist Nicholas Breeze Wood, who writes, "A shaman is someone chosen by the spirits [typically at or before birth] and who can go into a controlled and repeatable deliberate trance state, during which they A) experience 'spirit flight,' where they go to the spirit worlds and meet spirits, who they either fight with, negotiate with, or trick, in order to create change in this physical world, or B) are often taken over/possessed by the spirits (normally ancestral shaman spirits, or local land spirits) while in this physical world--the spirits using the shaman's voice and body to heal, or give advice to members of the shaman's community. Without the spirits and their blessing, a shaman cannot exist or function. Without the trance state, it is not shamanism." Featuring history, firsthand experiential reports, mythology, and folklore, Spirit Voices explores the spirits, spirituality, tools, and practices of true shamanism, past and present. Shi also provides practical information for those readers seeking to implement shamanic practices, including those that are appropriate to noninitiates and outsiders to the culture. As the author points out, "the purpose of shamanism can be summed up in two words: coexistence and balance--coexistence with our spirits and our communities, and the balance that must be preserved between all of us and within ourselves."

A unique guide that combines traditional genealogy with magical practices to deepen your relationship with ancestors. Have you been searching for a way to find deeper connection with your ancestors? Or would you like to learn how to reach your spirit guides? Author Cairelle Crow utilizes science, spells, and rituals to create a very profound book of ancestor working. Magic in Your Genes offers a route to becoming more in tune with your personal genealogical background so that you can begin to understand more about your ancestors. The book offers a primer on the basics of DNA and genetic genealogy practices, so no prior knowledge is required to put the book to use. Magical tips and techniques are placed throughout to help the reader utilize both technical and magical resources as appropriate to the content in each chapter. Written in a conversational style, its content is easily understandable by those with limited knowledge of genetics and genealogy, yet the book's technical aspects on DNA and genetic testing are based on current standards as set forth by professional associations. Included are: Real life stories and insights from a variety of pagans, wiccans, and witches who have done genetic genealogy testing and have used their personal results to explore their own magical identity and deepen their relationship with their ancestors The author's own experiences with DNA testing and genealogy and how it is utilized by her in various forms of art, writing, and her own spiritual and magical practice Correspondences, recipes, rituals, and spells Recommended resources, a glossary of terms, and information regarding major genealogical groups and societies wrap up the content It is geared to those with a known recent genealogical history (parents, grandparents) but is also appropriate for those who are adopted or who have other situations, such as a misattributed parentage event.

This experimental book is about the Evenki hunter-gatherers of Siberia. Through innovative visual methodology it reveals that despite an old stereotype of that lifestyle being part of the humanity's past, it is probably in humanity's future. In six chapters filled with a flow of photographs that cover such topics as shamanic rituals, hunting, foraging, reindeer herding, the application of new technologies and jade mining, the authors show that hunter-gathering is not a primitive way of survival, but a complex and open-to-change philosophy of life that is embodied in everyday practices. Photographs allow readers to immerse themselves in the most profound layers of human experiences, and astute ethnographic and analytic summaries help them navigate the world of the taiga, where people are neither conquerors of natural forces nor passive consumers of resources. The book will be of interest both to social anthropologists and general readers curious about life in unfamiliar places.

While there are books about folk dances from individual countries or regions, there isn’t a single comprehensive book on folk dances across the globe. This illustrated compendium offers the student, teacher, choreographer, historian, media critic, ethnographer, and general reader an overview of the evolution and social and religious significance of folk dance. The Encyclopedia of World Folk Dance focuses on the uniqueness of kinetic performance and its contribution to the study and appreciation of rhythmic expression around the globe. Following a chronology of momentous events dating from prehistory to the present day, the entries in this volume include material on technical terms, character roles, and specific dances. The entries also summarize the historical and ethnic milieu of each style and execution, highlighting, among other elements, such features as: origins purpose rituals and traditions props dress holidays themes

A pioneering examination of history, current affairs, and daily life along the RussiaÐChina border, one of the worldÕs least understood and most politically charged frontiers. The border between Russia and China winds for 2,600 miles through rivers, swamps, and vast taiga forests. ItÕs a thin line of direct engagement, extraordinary contrasts, frequent tension, and occasional war between two of the worldÕs political giants. Franck BillŽ and Caroline Humphrey have spent years traveling through and studying this important yet forgotten region. Drawing on pioneering fieldwork, they introduce readers to the lifeways, politics, and history of one of the worldÕs most consequential and enigmatic borderlands. It is telling that, along a border consisting mainly of rivers, there is not a single operating passenger bridge. Two different worlds have emerged. On the Russian side, in territory seized from China in the nineteenth century, defense is prioritized over the economy, leaving dilapidated villages slumbering amid the forests. For its part, the Chinese side is heavily settled and increasingly prosperous and dynamic. Moscow worries about the imbalance, and both governments discourage citizens from interacting. But as BillŽ and Humphrey show, cross-border connection is a fact of life, whatever distant authorities say. There are marriages, friendships, and sexual encounters. There are joint businesses and underground deals, including no shortage of smuggling. Meanwhile some indigenous peoples, persecuted on both sides, seek to ÒreviveÓ their own alternative social groupings that span the border. And Chinese towns make much of their proximity to ÒEurope,Ó building giant Russian dolls and replicas of St. BasilÕs Cathedral to woo tourists. Surprising and rigorously researched, On the Edge testifies to the rich diversity of an extraordinary world haunted by history and divided by remote political decisions but connected by the ordinary imperatives of daily life.