Kayla Greene

Professor Katsanos
Mini Paper
April 6, 2016
Down through the years there are have been numerous indigenous groups, those still
existing and those no longer existing, and with each group there are unique characteristics that
set them apart from other tribes. With the Inuit tribe, located primarily in the Greenland,
Canadian, and Alaskan region, they have their own set of religious rituals and specialists that
distinguish them from other indigenous groups, but there are distinct differences when observing
the role of the Shaman within their specific tribe. Within the Inuit tribe the Shaman is regarded as
a spiritual leader, and is often referred to as the Angakok (Meyer, 2004). The role of the Angakok
is that of an influential leader who almost serves as a mediator between the individuals who
make up the tribe, and the spirits (Meyer, 2004). Particularly with the Inuit tribe, Shamans
partake in ceremonies to satisfy the spirits of the sea and the sky (Meyer, 2004). Among the
villagers the Angakok has great influence and serves as a watch-man over the community, so that
no one commits acts against the cultural customs to make the spirits of the sea and sky angry
(Meyer, 2004). If this does happen and the spirits become angry with the people, then the
Shaman must come in and negotiate with the spirits and bring about peace once again, otherwise
the people will probably face sickness, limited food supply, or harsh weather (Meyer, 2004). As
with some other indigenous groups, the Angakok does have spirit guides, but since the Inuit tribe
is largely focused in the Artic regions, these spirit guides typically come in the form of animals,
such as seals, polar bears, or walruses (Meyer, 2004). Specifically, these spirit guides unique to

the Inuit tribe are called tuurngaits, and they can actually attack an Angakok, which is actually
often seen as something that needed to happen for the process of initiation for the Shaman
(Meyer, 2004). The initiation process for a Shaman of the Inuit indigenous group required
training by an experienced Shaman, physical and spiritual hardships that were self-induced
solely to obtain spiritual enlightenment, and skills learned by helper spirits to transcend among
the various spiritual realms, which among the Inuit tribe includes the sky, an underworld directly
under the earths surface, and another deep underground (Meyer, 2004). One distinct difference
characterized by the Inuit tribe is that Shamans are actually picked by older Angakoks as young
children (Meyer, 2004). These children are not random though. The children that are chosen by
older Angakoks are children who have displayed abnormal dreams or visions (Meyer, 2004).
The mythical aspect of the initiation process is typically centered on the dismemberment of the
soon-to-be Shamans body. Whether the Shaman is attacked by a polar bear, or sea animal, the
idea is that the flesh of the Inuit is devoured or the soul is drowned, to which he is then reborn
and given new flesh and a new vision of enlightenment (Meyer, 2004). Upon affirmation of
initiation into the new Shaman role, the individual, now known as the Angakok, is able to freely
move between the living and spiritual realms (Meyer, 2004). As is the case with many other
indigenous groups, the Angakok relies significantly on the drums and dancing to progress and
move into the transcendental state (Meyer, 2004). Ultimately the Shaman among the Inuit tribe is
sought out by the people, because his main intention is to bring about peace among the
community, and because he is often seen as a person with interest and one who can tell elaborate
stories (Meyer, 2004). With the rise of Christian missionaries, shamanic practices among the
Inuit tribes today are highly threatened and close to destruction, but despite all of that, people of
the culture seek out ways to keep traditions and customs alive and remembered.

We have learned in class that Shamans hold very honorary roles within their tribes, and
while most of the time they are highly looked upon by the community, sometimes community
members will fear them because of their capabilities to contact with the spirits and move
between the realms. However, Shamans within the Inuit tribe are highly looked upon and
respected for their role in restoring peace when it is misplaced, and mediating with the spirits if
and when they become angry. In each indigenous tribe there are special types of rituals and
spiritual acts that the Shaman will take place in, and there are also special performances the
Shaman must partake in to reach the transcendental state required to move between the living
and spiritual realms. Often times great importance is placed on drums or dancing to achieve this
state. For the Inuit tribe, the Angakok will sing in his own secret language that can only be
interpreted among himself and the spirits with which he is trying to communicate with, he will
dance, and he will do these things all while beating on his drum (Meyer, 2004). As the spirits
hear the Shamans cry, his soul will transcend from his body and move into the spiritual realm he
so desires (Meyer, 2004). There is much significance placed on the Shamans secret language
that he sings in, and each Shaman has their own unique song that they sing to the spirits (Meyer,
2004).
Even though shamanic practices are not as common among the Inuit tribe today, it is still
vitally important to them and individuals outside of the tribe to understand and respect the
customs and spiritual practices they so highly value. It is interesting to observe how different the
role of the Shaman is from one indigenous group to the next, but that is what makes each group
unique.

Works Cited
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/sami/diehtu/siida/shaman/inuit.htm
Common Religious Specialists within Indigenous Societies