Evgenia Fotiou, Ph.D., assistant professor of anthropology at 黑料网, was recently featured in for her expertise on indigenous religions, healing practices and cultural appropriation.
On Jan. 6, rioters stormed the Capitol building with one man calling himself the 鈥淨Anon Shaman.鈥 Dressed in American Flag face paint, Jacob Anthony Angeli Chansley told reporters that being a shaman had been his calling since he was a child. Fotiou explained to Yoga Journal why this is considered cultural appropriation and a serious offense to real, trained shamans.
鈥淭he word 鈥榮haman鈥 actually comes from indigenous Tungusian culture in Siberia, and the Tungusic word 拧aman,鈥 Fotiou told Yoga Journal. 鈥淭he word 拧aman was used to describe practitioners who could talk to spirit, travel to other worlds, and heal in their communities.鈥
Fotiou has experience working with medicine men and women through her own research on ayahuasca tourism in South American communities. Fatiou explained the difference between real shamans and people who claim to be healers.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 just say you are one,鈥 Fotiou told Yoga Journal in reference to Chansley claiming to be a shaman. 鈥淭hese people train rigorously for years in a lineage and in apprenticeship with older shamans. Then they have to be vetted by their community before they earn the title.鈥
To read more about cultural appropriation from Fotiou, visit .