shamanism

Barbara Watson (mbwatson@MAIL.SDSU.EDU)
Tue, 14 May 1996 08:41:05 -0700

May 14, 1996

Concerning Dwight Read's question: women shamans are not that uncommon and
will not necessarily have lower status. Among the Guajiro (Colombia,
Venezuela) the majority of shamans are female. Men are not excluded but I
was told by many Guajiro that women were more often called because they were
better in control of themselves. In this society shamans enjoy very high
status, regardless of their sex, age or civil status. barbara watson
Maria-Barbara Watson-Franke
Department of Women's Studies
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182
mbwatson@mail.sdsu.edu