Search - Incl. Booklet :: Shaman Jhankri & Nele

Brilliant and inspiring CD

12/04/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is fantastic. Anyone thinking of adding it to their collection will be pleased with the quality of both the CD and the book(which provides a great deal of background information.) In an effort to preserve the traditions of Shaman around the world, the contributors have collected samples of healing music and ritual performances. To hear the Shaman and Healers is inspirational."

This is NOT a how-to shaman's manual but excellent overview.

Douglas L. Buchholz | Lancaster, Coos County, New Hampshire (N'dakinna) | 05/25/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I found this book and it's accompanying CD a good overview of how Indiginous People's have helped people spiritually. It is an overview of Native Peoples across the world who conduct ceremonies, sing their spiritual songs, and pray for the hurt, sick, and dying. The songs are not to be sung, or used without the awareness of where, when, and how to use/sing them. For example; Kanucas Littefish sings a song that the author identifies as a healing song. Neither Kanucas (Ken) Littlefish nor the author Pat Moffit Cook explain how, when, or where to sing this song. It is not to used by those who don't know the song personally. The only one that can give you that awareness is Ken himself. He sings it, he "owns" this song. And he is not "selling" this song. He is not "selling" medicine. He is trying to give the reader an simple quick overview of where he comes from, how he walks his own road in this life. He DOES NOT claim to be a Native American Anishnaabe medicine man, a spiritual leader or otherwise. Other people appropriate or give him these titles/labels by their own observations being around this man.
There has been some "controversial issues" regarding this CD and book from within and outside the Native communities. I want to put people's minds and spirit at peace about this Book/CD, and about my friend. He is a good & decent human being and I have known Kanucas and his family for 16 years now. We native descendants are not all born and raised on Reservations/Reserve's. "Medicine ways" are not strictly kept within a BIA controlled reservation community by BIA Card holding Native peoples. We are all across this land, and we are born, adapt, adopt, migrate, and survive as best we can in this reality. This CD is merely an excellent overview of how Native Indiginous Peoples have done that, and those persons who have helped their people do just that within the context of where those people are at in their life. Again, I would like anyone who sees this material on the internet, or buys this wonderful book & CD that it is NOT a "how-to" manual, nor an attempt on the part of the persons mentioned in the book/Cd to "sell" or desecrate their Native People's spiritual traditions but merely to show other people's an overview of their culture, their histories, a sample of their songs, etc etc. Anyone who says differently, does not know these people personally. To use these songs, to know these songs, to "own" these songs you, the reader would have to get to know these people within the book personally and have them share with you how to use the songs, where to sing these songs, when to sing these songs, etc etc. And that my friend's, is not what Kanucas Littefish or anyone else mentioned therein has done in this book. Creator bless and keep you well. Get this book and CD, keep your spirit and your minds "open"....you never know what you might experience in your life if you do that. Mark Leckie (Mkwamagwigit)"

Introduction to Global Shamanism

Zekeriyah | Chicago, IL | 11/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This book does a wonderful job looking at the global tradition of Shamanism and its healing methods. After the introduction, it gives several brief profiles of 18 traditional Shaman from around the globe and their cultures. The range varies from traditional Tuvan shamanism to Voudon, the Native American Church, Ayahuasceros, a Tibetan Oracle and Hindu village healers and to more obscure practices such as Spiritual Baptists (aka "Shouters"), Nepalese Jhankri and a Kangsinmu (spirit possessed Korean shaman). Naturally, several Native American Nations are presented, including the Tarahumara and Huichol of northern Mexico, the Maya (Mesoamerica), Anishnabe (North America) and Kuna (Panama). And best of all, this book comes with a CD presenting excerpts from shamanic healings recorded in the field. This is a wonderful anthropologic introduction into just how truly global the traditions of shamanism truly are. Its only sad that the book couldn't go into more depth on each individual and their culture, or expand to look at other cultures (Hawai'ian Huna, Cuban Santeria, Mexican Curaderismo, Bedouin Sheikha, Jamaican Obeah, Chinese and Malay folk shaman, Siberian or Lappish shamanism or the medicine rites of the Australian Aborigines, Africans or Amazon Indians, for example).Just remember that many these songs are of a religious and healing nature. They are not meant to be edited, mimicked or altered. Show respect for the performances on this CD, just as you would any other religion."