Shamans: cosmology of a meeting (2015)

Abstract

This essay present the indigenous mobilization in Pernambuco, through the "Second Meeting of the Shamans - holders of traditional knowledge". The science produced by Shamans and other holders of indigenous traditional knowledge is closely related to spirituality and nature, whose practices it is imbricated in the assertion of ethnic identity of indigenous peoples. This event is important in order to understand the concepts of health, illness and healing of these traditional communities and, generally, the ways of guaranteeing the intermedicalidade principles. It is as stated Gersem Luciano (2006): "Every indigenous people was established as a single company, in that it is organized from a very particular cosmology that is based and founded all the social, cultural, economic and religious group ". Thus , visual anthropology is a fundamental approach in thinking about visual systems , as stated Parés (2000/2001) in your text some considerations around the Visual Anthropology , is " an area of Socio- cultural Anthropology , which uses imagery media to describe a culture or a particular aspect of a culture " and also in the capitation of social reality understood as a “dynamic and discontinuous process and its seizure requires constantly developing strategies to understand or try to explain the implications of the relationship of forces engaged in the production of knowledge, " Riscal (2010 ).

In 2015, we started the research project "Complex Jurema: healing practices and Intermedicality in northeastern Brazil", in order to analyze and understand the concepts of health, disease and healing through indigenous practices and traditional knowledge in the Northeast Brazil. Moreover, aim of the project is to understand the practice of self-care through the use of medicinal plants. Jurema Complex is a set of practices and knowledge on rituals of cure. It is broadly diffused in Brazilian Northeast and it is based on a drink made of a tree which is considered sacred, called Jurema. Through this drink, indians have access to spirits (Enchanted ones) and their teaching. Due to our research, we got in contact with health professionals from the Indigenous Sanitary District of Pernambuco. Moreover we we worked with leaders, witchdoctors and indigenous experts to identify communitaty strategies to sustain traditional practices and knowledge. This project aims is to obtain data that can underpin further collaboration between local healing practices and public policies. The intention is also to support actions of SUS professionals and put them in line with these people. It was in this context that we were invited to participate in the II Meeting of Shamans of the State of Pernambuco, which occurred in the village Stone Moorhen, Indigenous Xukuru. During this two days of November 2015 it has been possible to observe the dynamics that are experienced by these actors.

Credits:

Authors: Vânia Fialho (Orientadora); Andreza Graciete (UPE/ LACC); Hosana Celi (UFPE/LACC);Laís Carvalho (UPE/LACC);Luan Arruda (UPE/LACC) & Mirela Barbosa (UPE/LACC)

Photographs: Vânia Fialho (Orientadora); Andreza Graciete (UPE/ LACC); Hosana Celi (UFPE/LACC);Laís Carvalho (UPE/LACC);Luan Arruda (UPE/LACC) & Mirela Barbosa (UPE/LACC)

Direction, image editing and text:Vânia Fialho (Orientadora); Andreza Graciete (UPE/ LACC); Hosana Celi (UFPE/LACC);Laís Carvalho (UPE/LACC);Luan Arruda (UPE/LACC) & Mirela Barbosa (UPE/LACC)