TOWNSEND, JOAN

Professor emeritus in anthropology at the University of Manitoba, Canada. Broadly concurring withMichaelHarner’s definition ofcore shamanismas the essential character of indigenous shamanisms, Townsend’s analysis of “modern shamanic spirituality” draws distinctions between “traditional” shamanism, core shamanism, andneo-shamanism. She accurately notes the emphasis onindividualempowerment in neo-shamanisms, in contrast to traditional shamanisms. Core shamanism is singled out for special treatment, but it must also be seen as a Western construct: while it is possible to strip away the differences that constitute “shamanisms” across cultures, it is improbable that the core shamanism that remains is anything but a neo-shamanism made accessible (safe, acultural, apolitical) to a Western audience. It is cultural difference and diversity which makes shamans, in all their nuances, “shamans.”